"I don't care if I'm more liked or more wanted by people" - LeBron James didn't care about the backlash after his decision to play for the Miami Heat

After seven years with the Cleveland Cavaliers , LeBron James wanted to go in a new direction for his career. He wanted the best shot at a championship, so he had conversations with fellow 2003 draftees Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to team up.

The Miami Heat was the destination, as Wade was already there while James and Bosh were free agents during the 2010 offseason. Since the Cavs had multiple disappointing runs in the postseason, LeBron was expected to leave his hometown team. This happened in a television special called The Decision, where he announced his intention to join Miami.

Unfortunately for Bron, this "The Decision" left a sour taste in people's mouths. It was not his intention, but he took the backlash head-on without complaining.

"I don't care if I'm more liked or more wanted by people. People are going to have opinions about me no matter what," LeBron said to HoopsHype in 2012. "For me, as a player, I'll try to do what it takes to win, and off the court I am who I am. I can't change what people think about me."

The scrutiny of LeBron after The Decision went overboard

The NBA community had people making fun of LeBron before he left Cleveland for not having a title. The same community then did a 180-degree spin on LeBron by criticizing him for deciding to join a team where he would have a shot at a championship.

It was a natural move to further his career because he was not winning anything in Cleveland. Unfortunately, LeBron became the villain for moving to Miami because he formed a "superteam" with his fellow 2003 draftees.

Thankfully, some people were fair in their criticism. Larry Bird believed that televising it with The Decision on ESPN was a mistake .

"I think you should sit back and enjoy him because I think he's one of the greatest to ever play the game," Bird said on The Bill Simmons report. "You know, we all make mistakes. I did a lot of things I sort of regret. Whether he regrets it or not, I do not know. But he made some, you know, a couple of decisions. The Decision was a bad decision."

LeBron proved everyone wrong after The Decision

While his title got delayed after a legendary Dallas Mavericks championship run in 2011, LeBron proved everyone wrong when he won the title in 2012 and 2013 while winning Finals MVP. He proved that he made the right decision to move to South Beach by winning two titles in a row.

However, he did feel he had unfinished business in Cleveland, so after losing the 2014 Finals to the San Antonio Spurs, LeBron left Miami as a free agent to return home to the Cavs. James would exorcise his demons in 2016, leading the Cavs to mount a comeback from a 1-3 deficit against the Golden State Warriors to win the 2016 title, completing his story with his hometown.

Related: 'The Decision' was a random fan's idea, not LeBron James': "Do the same thing these kids do and announce it live"