He didn’t have to say anything. The look on LeBron James’s face said it all when he exited the arena on May 11, 2010, following an embarrassing 120–88 home loss to Boston in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semis.
He was signing elsewhere.
The Cavs were down 3–2 in the series at that point and would go on to lose Game 6 two days later in Boston to drop the series, marking James’s final game with Cleveland in his first go-around with the Cavs.
LeBron, as usual, carried the Cavaliers in that six-game set averaging 26.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. But he couldn’t do it alone. And on that team, he would have had to.
In 2010, Cleveland’s starting lineup was made up of aging stars Shaquille O'Neal (then 38 and past his once-dominant prime) and Antawn Jamison (33), journeyman point guard Mo Williams, and 34-year-old Anthony Parker at forward.
And LeBron James.
Not a horrible supporting cast, but it certainly paled in comparison to what the other powers had.
