Eleven years ago today, LeBron James famously, or infamously made his decision to “take his talents to South Beach” and join the Miami Heat.

LeBron played his first seven years as a Cleveland Cavalier but failed to bring a championship back to the franchise. LeBron then joined Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat where he won two championships and changed the landscape of player empowerment in sports.

Even though James may have upset a few fans in Cleveland, he sparked a new movement, especially in the NBA. James was one of the first superstars to take his free agency into his own hands and join other great players.

Today, we see players and agents with more power and leverage in franchises than ever. Players now have the freedom to express their discontentment with a franchise and work their way to a better situation, without having to rely on Front Offices to make those decisions for them.