
The first time, LeBron James sat clumsily with Jim Gray on national TV, announcing that he was taking his talents to South Beach.
That didn't go over too well.
Upon returning to Cleveland, the announcement came in the form of an elaborately written essay in Sports Illustrated. Lots and lots of words.
This time? There was only an old-school press release sent out into the world by his representation agency, Klutch Sports. It contained exactly one sentence, which stated simply that James had agreed to a four-year, $154 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Then came the customary three pound signs (###) at the end of the release, which in public relations lingo is an indication to the news media that there is no more copy to come.
That couldn't be further from the truth, because LeBron James' latest chapter—the Hollywood chapter, the Showtime chapter—might just be the most fascinating yet.
"If I'm going to leave Cleveland again," James told a confidant leading up to this decision, according to a person familiar with their conversation, "it needs to be like what I dreamt of as a kid."
Remember, this is a man who grew up in Northeast Ohio rooting for the Cowboys and the Yankees. It's the go-big-or-go-home sports fan mentality.
In 2014, James went home. Now, he's going big.