LeBron James' decision to join the Miami Heat as a free agent in 2010 shook the NBA world and caused a huge backlash against the superstar.

James famously announced his move to South Beach via a live television interview with ESPN called "The Decision" and his departure from Cleveland in that manner saw him become a villain with fans of other teams across the league.

LeBron was booed at every arena he visited and became a hate figure for the first time in his career.

Much of that was also because he teamed up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to form a superteam in Miami and was perceived to have taken the easy route to winning a championship.

Nonetheless, LBJ ended his trophy drought and won two rings with the Heat and silenced many critics along the way.

The four-time MVP knew what the consequences would be of his move, but it was a decision he felt he had to make for his career and he has become a catalyst for players taking control of their future.

Since King James joined Miami, many star players have joined forces in the years since and it is now extremely rare to see a team have much success without at least two All-Stars on their roster.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has credited LeBron for creating an opportunity for his peers to exploit.

“LeBron made it OK. I think he opened up a new door for guys. He gave guys a voice and willing to use that voice,” Green said. “I wasn’t sure at the time he knew what he was doing. There was so much backlash and all of those things. It really opened up new doors for guys.

“Maybe he didn’t know what he was doing. I don’t know. He did something special for guys around the NBA. To take careers into your own hands and go where you feel you want to go. Obviously, there are rules in place to try to stop it. But you have the power to do what you want to do. That’s a special thing. If anything, he opened guys’ eyes on what you can possibly do.”

Green has clearly become a huge beneficiary of this after the Golden State Warriors landed Kevin Durant last summer.

KD was the biggest free agent since the Cavs superstar and he admitted that James paved the way for him to join the Dubs.

Ironically, they defeated LBJ and the Cavaliers emphatically to win their second title in three years and have created a formidable roster in the Bay Area that the King will struggle to overcome in the near future.

The juggernaut in Oakland may be a problem of his own making, but King James is not one to back down from a challenge.