LeBron James and the newly-minted Heatles strolled into Cleveland on Dec. 2, 2010, greeted by bloodthirsty boos, chants of “Scott-ie Pipp-en!” and cutting signs that were clearly months in the making. Traitors don’t leave legacies. The Decision: Stay or Betray. What should you do? Beg for mercy. Who needs LeBron if you’ve got Bieber fever?
The ensuing game—James’s first in Cleveland since leaving for Miami that July—begged for an apology that was never going to come. Despite the messy surroundings, James played brilliantly and unflinchingly, throwing up his signature chalk toss before pouring in a game-high 38 points, eight rebounds and five assists.