LeBron James' first choice in 2010 was the Knicks and their meeting ended in 'disaster'

Throughout his NBA career, LeBron James has been linked to the New York Knicks multiple times. Reports claimed that the Knicks were an option for the Los Angeles Lakers star, both in 2010 and 2018. However, LeBron James chose the Miami Heat in 2010, and the Los Angeles Lakers two years ago.

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LeBron James to Knicks: Would the LeBron James to Knicks rumours have turned into reality?

As per reports, James' interest in the Knicks goes back to over a decade. In 2010, the Knicks tried to acquire the three-time NBA champion in free agency. They had enough cap space and could afford signing James and some other high-profile NBA players that July.

However, reports state that the Knicks messed up their meeting with LeBron James despite being considered 'favourites' for the player in the league. During his podcast, The Ringer's Bill Simmons stated that everyone he has talked to since then had believed that the Knicks were the 'first choice' for James in 2010. "It was basically the Knicks' to lose, and they just couldn't stay out of their own way. The stories are legendary," Simmons added. 

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Why did the LeBron James to Knicks move not happen?

Simmons went on to desirable the James-Knicks meeting as a disaster, stating that James did not even give the team a second chance before finalizing his deal with the Miami Heat. He explained that while they tried to put up a good presentation for James, they lacked a vision for the future. The Knicks reportedly also hired James Gandolfini and Edie Falco to reprise their roles as Tony and Carmela Soprano. "Dolan was Dolan. they didn't have anything prepared. It just couldn't have gone worse by all accounts. It was a disaster. I think at that point, combined with the decade the Knicks just had, I think those guys were just like 'f**k it,'" Simmons said. 

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LeBron James to Knicks: Where did the Knicks go wrong?

That year, the Knicks had a reposted cap space of $34 million, which mad it possible for the team to sign two free agents with some small adjustments. While the Knicks would have needed a trade to acquire a third high profile player, they had young players like Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov, who could have been traded to teams like Toronto Raptors and Cleveland, who were looking to rebuild their team. Howeevr, the Knicks ended up paying Amar'e Stoudemire and let go of their young talent for Carmelo Anthony, who was a few months away from entering unrestricted free agency. 

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