Study reveals huge impact LeBron James’ departure will have on Cavs’ fandom

There was inevitably going to be a big impact on the Cleveland Cavaliers both on and off the court with LeBron James opting to depart, but we’re starting to understand just how big that impact will be.

A new survey indicates that nearly a quarter of Cavaliers fans who watched at least half of their games last season won’t be tuning in to see the new-look team next season. That’s according to Qualtrics, which found that 23 percent of those fans will skip this year’s games, according to Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports.

That said, the levels of bitterness toward James appear to be fairly low. 33 percent believe his decision to move to the Los Angeles Lakers is justified, and only 14 percent found it to be a cop-out. That is seemingly in stark contrast to how things were when he departed for the first time in 2010, but that’s what delivering a title will do for you.

One has to wonder if those numbers will get even worse if the Cavaliers start a full-scale rebuild.