Boobie Gibson Says LeBron James Once Confronted Him Through an Unknown Number

The 2010-11 season was a brutal one for the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James had just left for the Miami Heat via "The Decision," the remaining players struggled without him, losing 26 straight games at one point, and many of the veterans on the team wanted out. 

One of them reportedly was Mo Williams, as multiple former Cavaliers indicated during an oral history of the team from Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. 

Boobie Gibson recounted a story in which he called out Williams at a club. Gibson said LeBron James then heard about the call out and believed Gibson had been talking about him:

"I don't even know if Mo knows this. There was some weird, outside-of-basketball stuff going on. There was a point in that season when I went out one night, I went to the club. I got on a microphone and I'm a little drunk saying, 'People don't want to play here, we don't care. The people from here who want to be here, we'll keep playing and doing our thing.'

"Someone records this. I don't know if they gave it to Rich Paul or someone. It gets back to 'Bron. 'Bron thought I was talking about him. So he hit me from this unknown number. 'I thought we was brothers.' I'm like, 'Bro, listen. I, Daniel 'Booby' Gibson, wouldn't exist without LeBron. I wouldn't disrespect you that way.' Mo was a brother and a mentor and somebody I still love to this day. But just being honest, at that moment in our relationship..."

The Cavaliers would finish that season 19-63, and to add insult to injury were absolutely cooked by James in his return to Cleveland. The star scored 38 points and added eight assists and five rebounds in a 118-90 win for the Heat. 

The Cavs would go on to lose 36 of their next 37 games. 

All was not lost, however. The Cavaliers would ultimately beat James in his second trip to Cleveland that season, 102-90. 

And more importantly, an in-season trade with the Los Angeles Clippers would bring them an unprotected first-round pick in the 2011 draft. The Cavs would shockingly win the lottery despite having just a 2.8 percent chance, landing Kyrie Irving. 

With their own pick at No. 4, the Cavaliers would then select Tristan Thompson. 

It was Irving who would later pair with James and Kevin Love to win the franchise's only title in the 2015-16 season, after James returned to Cleveland following his four seasons and two titles with the Heat. Thompson was the starting center on that team. 

James time away from Cleveland was difficult for the organization, which endured four straight losing seasons. His return would usher in four straight trips to the NBA Finals and a long-awaited title.