Did LeBron James Get Danny Green Fired?

In the summer of 2010, the Cleveland Cavaliers had but one priority: re-sign LeBron James. They ultimately failed in this quest, as James infamously took his talents to South Beach, where he’s lived in the NBA Finals ever since. But in their attempts to show James they were serious about improving their title odds, the Cavs jettisoned Coach Mike Brown—who, ironically, was just rehired to replace the man who replaced him (Byron Scott). They also quietly cut their second-round draft choice from the year prior, a lanky shooting guard named Danny Green.

Green didn’t do much in his rookie year, appearing in only 20 regular-season games. But his sideline shenanigans gave him a higher profile than most benchwarmers. At the University of North Carolina, Green gained a good deal of notoriety for flaunting a shameless pre-game arsenal of dance moves, a skill he brought with him to Cleveland. There, he found a willing dance partner in James, who likely remembers Green as the best thing about his final Cavalier year.

This article appears in Jun 12-18, 2013.