Ten years ago on Wednesday, LeBron James made "The Decision" in which the greatest basketball player of his era announced where he would be playing next season in a live television special. According to then NBA commissioner David Stern, it was "ill-conceived, barely produced and poorly executed". Watching it back now that seems like an understatement. As a television programme, it was car-crash viewing, but it remains a seminal moment in sports history. Not only does it remain ESPN's most watched studio show, attracting a peak audience of 13 million, but the consequences would change the face of the NBA and ripple across into other sports. Here was an athlete who put himself in control of both the league and the media. Stern, who had demanded the show be cancelled, likened it to handing over the keys to the car of the NBA to the players. That again proved to be a prescient analysis. The story, retold by ESPN's Backstory documentary team, will air at 5.30pm on Saturday on BT Sport 1. At the time, James was playing for his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers . His talent was well established, having been voted the NBA's most valuable player in 2009 and 2010…. Read full this story
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