Former NBA champion Iman Shumpert recently spoke very candidly about his feelings on LeBron James’ decision to join the Miami Heat back in 2010.
In the eyes of Shumpert, James “ruined basketball” by joining the Heat. He made sure to offer some insight into why he feels that way.
“Nah, it wasn’t K.D. (Kevin Durant),” Shumpert said. “It was Bron first going to Miami. Bron knows he ruined basketball. … Me personally, I love the NBA for the loyalty that I thought was there. He basically knocked the fourth wall down. … He wasn’t supposed to do that.”
Shumpert and James were teammates for multiple seasons on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Of course, by that point, James’ time with the Heat had already come to an end.
Fans might never get an answer, but it’s certainly interesting to speculate about whether or not Shumpert ever spoke to James about the Heat topic while the two players were teammates on the Cavs.
As teammates, Shumpert and James accomplished the ultimate goal of winning a title. The two players were both members of the 2015-16 Cavs. That Cleveland squad earned one of the most iconic titles in NBA history by erasing a 3-1 deficit in the 2016 NBA Finals to beat the Golden State Warriors.
Today, James is obviously still active in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s trying to add another ring to his collection. Shumpert, meanwhile, hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2020-21 season. He recently made headlines by winning “Dancing with the Stars.”
