2014 Year in Review: June Edition
By DJ Smith
LeBron opts out of Miami
Jun 15, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) and guard Dwyane Wade (3) speak during a press conference after game five of the 2014 NBA Finals at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
On June 24th just nine days after the conclusion of the NBA Finals, reigning NBA MVP LeBron James informed the Miami Heat that he would be opting out of his contract and heading to free agency once again. This move was somewhat unexpected since the Heat had been to their 4th straight NBA Finals, and leaving co-stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh seemed like a head scratching decision. Heat president Pat Riley was unsurprised about the move as he commented shortly afterwards, “I was informed this morning of his intentions. We fully expected LeBron to opt out and exercise his free-agent rights, so this does not come as a surprise.” LeBron would spend the next few weeks meeting teams and reviewing offers, and after much deliberation LeBron was down to two teams that were in the running for his services, the Miami Heat and his hometown team the Cleveland Cavaliers.