After 14 years of speculation, part of the pitch video the New York Knicks created to woo Lebron James to Gotham has been made public and it shows why they failed miserably in bringing the league legend to Madison Square Garden.
For some Knicks fans, one of the biggest what-if moments in recent memory centers on Lebron James’ jump into NBA free agency during the summer of 2010. Heading into his infamous “Decision” broadcast it seemed like the Knicks were the clear favorite to land his services.
- Lebron James stats (2023-24): 25.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 41% 3PT
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He had a well-publicized admiration for the city and Madison Square Garden, despite being a native of Akron, Ohio. He was quickly becoming the top player in the world at the time and playing inside the world’s most famous arena just seemed like a no-brainer. However, the future Hall-of-Famer instead chose to team up with pals Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami and would go on to win multiple championships in South Beach.
Many Knicks fans wonder what could have happened if Lebron James had come to New York 14 years ago, and there have been rumors for years about what went wrong in their pitch to the 20-time All-Star. Well, part of the video the organization used to try and persuade James to join the team has been revealed and it is pretty funny, but in the wrong way.
New York Knicks 2010 pitch video to Lebron James featured awful performances from ‘Sopranos’ stars
The horrid pitch video (which can be viewed above) featured appearances from the top two stars of the legendary HBO Series “The Sopranos,” Edie Falco and James Gandolfini. The actors are playing their roles from the series and claim they are living in witness protection and are looking for a “place” for Gandolfini’s “friend Lebron James.”
The real estate they end up settling on is, of course, Madison Square Garden. Then the duo of actors look at the camera and give an awkward smile. It is a surprisingly bad performance from a pair of actors who earned multiple Emmy nominations for their work on the iconic show.
Watching this, it isn’t surprising that James — who was only 25 at the time — wasn’t impressed and decided to pass on being in New York and preferred playing with close friends and fellow All-Stars in Miami.
- Lebron James age: 39 years old
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