LeBron James met Cleveland’s front office in Akron this July. ESPN Insider Shams Charania knew about it for weeks and said nothing, saying he ethically couldn’t report on the meeting.
What We Know: Charania revealed on the Game Over podcast that Cavaliers executives visited James in Akron in early July. Koby Altman, Brandon Weems, and members of the Gilbert family attended, according to Charania. He’d learned of the meeting from multiple sources on background weeks earlier. However, he held the story because no one would confirm it on the record.
What They Said: (All quotes from Game Over w/Max Kellerman & Rich Paul)
Shams Charania on why he held back reporting on LeBron James meeting with the Cleveland Cavaliers: “In real time, the integrity aspect matters more than anything. This was information I was told by multiple people on background, off the record. This was something that ethically I couldn’t report. Because it wasn’t told to me in a way that I was able to have a report or go double check and triple check. It was told to me off the record.”
Shams Charania explains why he didn’t report the information when gathered: “For me, responsibility is important. Being upfront is important. Ethically doing the job the right way. My job is to tell the truth. If it’s off the record and it’s being told like this isn’t reportable. If I did that, you’re burning the source.”
Shams Charania explains why he was likely told the information off the record: “You know the history of LeBron in Cleveland. What he means to that organization. Something like that. That’s probably why it was told to me off the record. If that were you know something that got out, I do think in real time it does lead on a little bit.”
What Remains Unclear: Any details of the meeting with James and the Cavaliers are unknown.
What It Means: The reveal shows insiders sometimes protect sources over headlines, despite the role they choose to take on. Charania’s choice to not report is just the latest example of how ESPN insiders are aware of information but choose what to report and not based on relationships. Using ethics as the reasoning since it was off record. However, when you get multiple sources saying the same thing. It leads to questioning why this wasn’t revealed. Ultimately, the story became public only after James picked Philadelphia.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.