Le Batard & Friends Presents: The Step Back

The Decision (feat. Jim Gray)

As our exclusive new series on LeBron's legacy continues, Dan, Amin and Izzy re-live the awkward silence — and alternate history — of a made-for-TV moment that altered the course of Miami sports and player empowerment forever. More from "The Step Back": * Episode 1: The Chosen One [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-chosen-one-feat-sonny-vaccaro/id1896560592?i=1000767210390] * Don't miss an episode — subscribe here [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/le-batard-friends-presents-the-step-back/id1896560592] Homework for this episode: * "The Decision" (ESPN, 2010) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afpgnb_9bA4 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afpgnb_9bA4] Homework for next week's episode: * "I'm Coming Home" by LeBron James, as told to Lee Jenkins (Sports Illustrated, 2014) - https://www.si.com/nba/2014/07/11/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers [https://www.si.com/nba/2014/07/11/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers] Optional homework for next week's episode: * "Return of the King" by Brian Windhorst and Dave McMenamin (2018) - https://bookshop.org/p/books/return-of-the-king-lebron-james-the-cleveland-cavaliers-and-the-greatest-comeback-in-nba-history-brian-windhorst/9390251 [https://bookshop.org/p/books/return-of-the-king-lebron-james-the-cleveland-cavaliers-and-the-greatest-comeback-in-nba-history-brian-windhorst/9390251] Encouraged homework for next month's season finale: * "There's Always This Year" by Hanif Abdurraqib (2025) - https://bookshop.org/p/books/there-s-always-this-year-on-basketball-and-ascension-hanif-abdurraqib/20204172 [https://bookshop.org/p/books/there-s-always-this-year-on-basketball-and-ascension-hanif-abdurraqib/20204172] From our guest: * "Talking to GOATs: The Moments You Remember and the Stories You Never Heard" - https://www.talkingtogoats.com/ [https://www.talkingtogoats.com/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

The Chosen One (feat. Sonny Vaccaro)

In the season premiere, Dan, Amin, and Izzy go back to the Sports Illustrated cover that turned a teenager into an industry, re-reading the prophecy with the very people who helped craft it. Plus: a resplendent Sonny Vaccaro joins us to re-live his failed $100 million offer to bring The Kid from Akron to Adidas. All that AND real talk about LeBron's untold origin story. Homework for this episode: • "Ahead of His Class" by Grant Wahl (Sports Illustrated, 2002) https://vault.si.com/vault/2002/02/18/ahead-of-his-class-ohio-high-school-junior-lebron-james-is-so-good-that-hes-already-being-mentioned-as-the-heir-to-air-jordan [https://vault.si.com/vault/2002/02/18/ahead-of-his-class-ohio-high-school-junior-lebron-james-is-so-good-that-hes-already-being-mentioned-as-the-heir-to-air-jordan] Homework for the next week's episode: • "The Decision" (ESPN, 2010) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afpgnb_9bA4 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afpgnb_9bA4] From our guest: • "Legends and Soles: The Memoir of an American Original" by Sonny Vaccaro with Armen Keteyian https://www.harpercollins.com/products/legends-and-soles-sonny-vaccaroarmen-keteyian [https://www.harpercollins.com/products/legends-and-soles-sonny-vaccaroarmen-keteyian] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]