REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk
Here at Time Magazine, we’re closing in on our version of The Decision. What should we do?
For the first six months of 2010, the headlines were big and bold. Basketball buffs devoted hours of their day toward ruminating on LeBron James’ impending free-agency decision. Countdown websites were born. Facebook groups were bred. As for James, he soaked up every minute of it, playfully advising addicts to abandon their pre-July calendar.
(See the top 10 sports superstitions.)
“If you guys want to go to sleep right now and not wake up until July 1, 2010, then go ahead because it’s going to be a big day,” the King quipped to Yahoo! sports.
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Those words proved to be premature. The nation woke up the following Thursday evening to a 70-minute ESPN exclusive entitled The Decision. At 9:27 p.m. Eastern Time on July 9, James finally uttered that he was headed to the Miami Heat. The news that he was taking his talents to South Beach was new to few, as reports had surfaced for days that the 6-foot-8 luminary’s Florida move was sealed.
(See more on LeBron’s sad, strange night.)
James’ hometown fans in Cleveland were left enraged. His new following in South Florida was left thrilled. The rest of the NBA’s followers were mostly left stunned — not because of LeBron’s decision itself, but the tactics he used to unveil the change. The former No. 1 pick of the Cavaliers may have inherited no income taxes in his new home. But his first season in Miami has been taxing to date — mired by rumors of dissension between teammates and head coach Eric Spoelstra, as well as plenty of boos in road venues.
(See “LeBron’s Return to Cleveland: Why They Boo.”)
Is James the candidate for TIME’s 2010 Person of the Year award? More than 10,000 readers think so. Head over to TIME.com to make your Decision. Or, sign up for one of our Dec. 8 meetup spots to become a live part of the conversation.