LeBron James' The Decision helped donate over $2 million for the Boys and Girls Club

While NBA icon LeBron James' Decision is infamous for his decision to leave hometown team Cleveland Cavaliers, James me a conscious decision to conduct one-hour TV special at gym of Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, Connecticut. His associate Mark Dowley contacted  n-executive director of Boys & Girls Club, Bob DeAngelo, to inform him of NBA star's decision. When Dowley called, DeAngelo revealed that he almost fell from lder he was standing on. James wanted to use gym to announce where he would play next season and money earned from special would be donated to  Boys & Girls Club. 

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LeBron James Decison: LeBron James donation to Boys and Girls Club before LeBron James to Miami move

Journalist Jim Gray interviewed James at venue, asking him questions about his free agency, and why he decided to do take his talents to South Beach. James received tremendous backlash due to ESPN TV Special, where everyone aside from Miami Heat fans referred to James as 'selfish and arrogant' for leaving  Cavaliers. During an interview with Undefeated,  national vice president of sports, entertainment and alumni for Boys & Girls Club Frank Sanchez spoke about how Gray did not ask James questions regarding venue. If he h, James would have revealed details of his plans to donate to Boys and Girls Club, which could have altered negative effect  special h on James' image. 

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LeBron James Decision: LeBron James to Miami Heat announcement was me on live television 

situation was covered in recent ESPN documentary series Backstory, which highlighted behind--scenes look at LeBron James Decision. In documentary, James' visers h come toger to discuss how revenue (approximately $2 million) generated from sponsors who purchase commercial time during TV Special would be donated to Boys & Girls Club. James' visors included now-business partner Maverick Carter, n-agent Leon Rose and William “Worldwide Wes” Wesley. 

James h been working toger with Boys & Girls group ever since he started playing with Cavaliers in 2003. For every All-Star game he played, James helped renovate club it host city. In 2009, James, Beyoncé and Jay-Z h donated sports and musical instruments to club in Arizona.

For LeBron James Decision, James was specific about donating money to cities of teams that were favourites for James to sign with – Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, Heat and Cavaliers. Greenwich and James' hometown Akron, Ohio were also included. Sanchez explained that James wanted to 'have a footprint in each one of markets that were recruiting him' and was hoping that 'nobody got offended'.

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Along with $2 million raised from LeBron James Decision,  LeBron James Family Foundation donated $2 million to national office of Boys & Girls Club in Atlanta. James' corporate partners also teamed up for initiative, donating $500,000 worth of computers and or useful technology to club. Nike helped with $500,000 worth of equipment and courts. 

Boys & Girls Club was formed in 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut. As per ir website, y want to ensure that every child “gruate[s] from high school with a plan for future, demonstrating good character and citizenship and living a healthy lifestyle". James, who grew up with his single mor Gloria and missed over 100 days of school as she struggled to make ends meet, was referred to as an 'uplifting force for young people' by Sanchez.

James played and won two NBA titles for Heat before returning to Cavaliers and winning m ir first franchise title in 2016. In 2018, James left Cavaliers for second time to join Los Angeles Lakers. 

During his interview with Despin, Don Palmer, Club’s Program Director at time, revealed that Greenwich club allowed 50 kids above age of ten to attend special. kids were Youth of Year Winners, and interacted with James why calling him during breaks. James would turn around and wave to m. DeAngelo said that while crowd outside erupted after his decision, kids surrounded him as people inside gym clapped. “y all surrounded him,” Palmer revealed, “He picked up one of kids and put her on his shoulders. And n NBA ushered him out." 

DeAngelo revealed that he felt b for James, who 'got killed in ratings'. “It didn’t come across probably  way he wanted it to,” DeAngelo explained to Despin. “It’s just my opinion, from being around him and looking at him, if he to h to do it over again, I bet he would have done it from his house, on sofa, with his wife, you know, that close and personal". 

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(Image source: LeBron James Family Foundation official site)