Remember The Sopranos reunion from 14 years ago? Well, if you’re not a hoops fan, you might not even have heard of it. But legend James Gandolfini recreated his iconic Tony Soprano avatar for a brief pitch video to lure LeBron James to the Knicks when he was about to enter free agency for the first time. Unfortunately, the Kid from Akron ended up taking his talents to South Beach and Gandolfini passed away just 3 years later. But the legendary actor continues to live in his fans’ hearts and Bron even paid homage to megastar on his special day.

September 18! What’s so special about this day? As it turns out, it is the day Gandolfini was born and he would have turned 63, if he were with us. Complex shared a heartfelt post with multiple images from his acting career to pay tribute to the legend on his birthday. Sure enough, LeBron James re-shared the same on his Instagram story and wrote, “HBD !!!!!” along with a GOAT emoji for the ultimate honor.

Unfortunately, the actor is not here to respond to the warm wishes. He passed away 11 years ago because of a sudden heart attack during a vacation in Rome. Sure, LeBron James rejected James Gandolfini’s pitch years ago. It was a project that Gandolfini accepted while saying no to every other big collab coming his way. But that does not mean the hooper was not a big fan of the versatile actor!

With The Sopranos lasting six seasons around the same time when King James was growing into an adult, he was well aware of the pop culture phenomenon Gandolfini’s character had become. Maybe that’s why the Knicks used Tony Soprano to sell the New York Dream to the former Cavs star. But the actor’s unique pitch fell short of getting the job done.

What did James Gandolfini tell LeBron James in the Knicks’ video?

While the meeting between the Knicks and LeBron James took place years ago, the aforementioned video only reached the public eye very recently. During an episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast earlier this year, the pitch video shows The Sopranos settled in NY two years after the finale of the show. “Yeah, life is good here now. Even if we are in the witness protection program,” Tony says about his new life.

Then, deeming LeBron Gandolfini’s friend, his on-screen wife Edie Falco, remarks they need to find a place for The Chosen One to live. And the actor describes LBJ’s personality to match a location that fits him well, “Well, he is a modern guy. But he respects tradition.”

Then, the actor subtly began pitching the New York Knicks’ iconic arena, “You got to find something magnificent. Something there’s nothing in the world like it, one of a kind like he is.” Lo and behold, the couple began marveling at the image of a packed Madison Square Garden as Tony Soprano says, “Oh yeah. Yeah, that’s it. That’s going to be perfect for him.”

Moreover, Falco was shocked when LeBron James chose Miami over the Knicks despite the unique pitch, saying “I couldn’t believe that it didn’t work. Not so much because of ‘The Sopranos.’ I just thought it’s New York. How does anyone say no to New York, for God’s sake? But he did!”

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But this one cameo by the great James Gandolfini could’ve changed the entire trajectory of Bron’s career, had the Laker chosen otherwise. What are your thoughts?

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.