LeBron James and Dan Gilbert have had a very checkered past to say the least. Now we are hearing another story about just how petty things got between the two.
Retired former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Baron Davis revealed this week that Gilbert, the team’s owner, once refused to let him out of his deal, thinking that Davis would go to the Miami Heat to play with James.
I remember Dan Gilbert sent a message to me he wouldn’t let me out my deal if I went to play with LEBRON!!! Facts. He knew that where I was going so they played hardball… he said if I went to play with LEBRON he would win a title. I told him LEBRON gonna win one anyway.
— Baron Davis (@BaronDavis) March 9, 2021
The Cavs acquired Davis in a Feb. 2011 trade. He ended up playing in just 15 games for the team before being amnestied in December of that year. Davis would then go on to sign with the New York Knicks for his final NBA season. It is definitely plausible that the Heat had interest in him. At the time, they were forced to rely on underwhelming veterans like Mike Bibby and Carlos Arroyo at the point guard position.
This story about Gilbert, meanwhile, should surprise absolutely no one. After all, he infamously trashed James in a Comic Sans-fonted letter upon James’ initial exit from Cleveland in 2010. The two men did reconcile en route to James returning to Cleveland in 2014 and delivering the team their first-ever NBA championship in 2016. But even since then, it has been quite obvious that their relationship, especially after James’ second departure, will never be a warm one.
