ESPN To Air Docuseries `Backstory: The Decision’ On LeBron James Leaving Cleveland in 2010
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00:00I'm Melissa Rowland with Sports Illustrated and we're here with Jill Painter-Lopez.
00:05Now ESPN is airing a special called Backstory the Decision on Sunday.
00:09Tell us a little bit about what we're going to see.
00:13Well Melissa, that was the much hyped decision that when LeBron James was a free agent in
00:182010 that he had to make and it wasn't just any decision, it was aired in a one hour special
00:23on ESPN.
00:24Of course, LeBron James would be criticized before that, he would be criticized after
00:29that heavily scrutinized in making that decision and of course the memorable line, I'm going
00:34to take my talents to South Beach.
00:36Who could ever forget that?
00:38Now, what went into that decision?
00:40What went into the decision to air it on ESPN on both the part of LeBron James and his camp
00:45and the part of ESPN?
00:47How David Stern didn't want that to happen and what he did to try and make it not happen?
00:52Of course, that didn't work out but just everything that goes beyond that and Don VanNatta Jr.
00:58is the reporter, host and producer of this and he discussed this at length in terms of
01:03the legacy that LeBron set up even though he said he made some mistakes and certainly
01:08was much scrutinized at the time.
01:10He said that really set the stage for what he said he believes is LeBron James being
01:14the most outspoken and influential American athlete.