LeBron James. Image via: Anthony Behar/Sipa USA/ AP
The Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich received about $90,000 from the proceeds, along with 15 desktop computers and several laptops. Because “when you do something for them and you do something that’s positive, they never forget about it, he added that he was happy to be in a position to help.
During his July 9, 2010 appearance on “Good Morning America,” James said, “All the proceeds from the announcement was going to the Boys and Girls Club. Frank Sanchez of Boys & Girls Clubs of America told the Christian Science Monitor on July 9, 2010, that James’ intention was to use the enormous attention around his free agency “to raise dollars and awareness” for the organization. Sanchez added, “LeBron didn’t make a penny” from the event. Speaking to The Athletic for its July 8, 2020 retrospective on “The Decision,” DeAngelo said, “I think he means well and I think he is a role model for young people. He also explained how James’ actions after that night changed his opinion: “That got erased as he went on his journey.”
James chose the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, Connecticut, as the setting for the broadcast. The club hosted the event as millions watched James reveal his next team. Yet the most important part of the night had little to do with Miami. James later explained why he wanted the announcement to benefit the organization. There was another important detail. James did not make money from the broadcast. The money helped refurbish the gym floor and add padding around the court, giving the children a better place to play. The night also created personal memories for the young members inside the club. After the broadcast, James interacted with the children and helped make the event feel less like a television production. That experience stayed with Bob DeAngelo, the club’s executive director at the time. He initially admitted that he was not a James fan. Ten years later, his view had changed significantly.