Back in 2010, LeBron James was faced with a massive decision. For the first time in his NBA career, he was a free agent, and every team had their eyes on him, including the New York Knicks.
Before coming to a decision, James met with a few teams that were considered his strongest suitors. In addition to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team for whom he had played since being drafted in 2003, James considered and met with the Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, and the Knicks. During their meeting with James, though, the Knicks infamously tried to use a custom video featuring ‘The Sopranos' stars James Gandolfini and Edie Falco to persuade James, supposedly a big fan of the hit TV show, to come to New York.
The video's existence had been reported on but had never been seen until today, when Pablo Torre showed the video on his show “Pablo Finds Out.”
In the short video, Gandolfini and Falco reprised their roles as Tony and Carmela Soprano. The couple, living “somewhere in New York” in witness protection program a few years after the events of the show's finale, was in the process of finding a place for Tony's good friend, LeBron, to stay in New York.
Tony called James a “modern guy, but he respects tradition” and that he needed a “magnificent” spot in which James could entertain lots of people that is also “one of a kind like he is.” The reveal was that Carmela had found the perfect spot for James: Madison Square Garden.
EXCLUSIVE: We found the secret tape the Knicks made to recruit LeBron.
It's a Sopranos reunion … and so much more.
Watch our reveal with @PabloTorre, @netw3rk and @WorldWideWob: https://t.co/DJ9erPKdji pic.twitter.com/W0QCYMV8en
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) April 16, 2024
LeBron James picked Miami Heat over Knicks in 2010
Despite Gandolfini and Falco's best efforts, James did not pick the Knicks in free agency in 2010. Instead, James took his talents to South Beach and joined the Miami Heat, with whom he reached the NBA Finals four consecutive years and won two championships.
The Knicks, led by Carmelo Anthony, one of James' best friends, reached the playoffs for the first time in seven years in 2011 and returned to the postseason each of the following two seasons as well. The Heat and Knicks matched up with one another in the 2012 playoffs, with James and Miami defeating Anthony and New York in five games.
In 2014, as the Knicks began a rebuild, James returned to Cleveland by signing with the Cavaliers in free agency. Two years later, James led Cleveland to a historic NBA championship, the first in franchise history, in which the Cavaliers overcame a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
The Knicks have not been as successful, to say the least. Since 2013, the Knicks have made the postseason just three times and the team has not reached the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000. Things are looking up for New York nowadays, though, with point guard Jalen Brunson leading the Knicks to a 50-win campaign and back to the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
While the Knicks are the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, James and the Los Angeles Lakers will have to fight through the Play-In to reach the playoffs.
Follow Us
Subscribe