Big Three (Miami Heat)

"The Big 3"

LeBron James

Dwyane Wade

Chris Bosh

The Big Three of the Miami Heat is a trio of superstars who have been playing for the Miami heat since the 2010-11 NBA season. The Big Three of the Miami Heat consists of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. All three of those players were selected within the 1st five picks of the 2003 NBA draft. LeBron James was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft and then switch to the Miami Heat on his famous TV show called The Decision. Dwyane Wade was selected by the Miami Heat in the 2003 NBA Draft and has played his whole NBA Career for the Miami Heat. Chris Bosh was selected by the Toronto Raptors in the 2003 NBA Draft and then signed a free agency contract to play for the Miami Heat. Each of the players on the Miami heat Big Three are the franchise scoring leader for the franchise that drafted them. The Big Three would led the Heat to the NBA Finals in each of their four seasons playing together so far.

Players

LeBron James

Main article: LeBron James

LeBron James preparing to shoot a free throw for the Cleveland Caviliers.

LeBron James was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the #1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. After a successful rookie season, LeBron James was named the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year. At the 2006 NBA All-Star Game LeBron James scored 29 points and grabbed six rebounds to become the youngest player to be named NBA All Star Game MVP. LeBron James was the runner-up for the 2006 NBA MVP Award behind Steve Nash who won the award. However, that season, LeBron James led the Caviliers to the playoffs for the 1st time since 1998. In the 1st round of the NBA Playoffs, LeBron James had a strong performance including a triple-double in Game 1 with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists and making the game winning shots in Game 3 and Game 5 as he led the Cavaliers past the Washington Wizards in a six game series. LeBron James was successful in the conference semifinals vs. the Detroit Pistons recording 22 points in Game 1, recording a double-double in Game 2 with 30 points and 14 rebounds, a triple-double in Game 3 with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, 22 points in Game 4, 32 points in Game 5, a double-double in Game 6 with 32 points and 11 rebounds, and 27 points in Game 7 but however, the Cavaliers suffered a seven-game series loss to the Pistons.

LeBron James was the youngest player to ever win the award at 21 years and 51 days old.

After the 2006 playoffs, LeBron James signed a 3-year $60,000,000 contract with the player option for the 4th year. LeBron James had another successful year for the Cavaliers in the 2006-07 season as he led the Cavaliers to 50 wins for the 2nd straight season and clinched a postseason berth for the Cavs as the Eastern Conference's #2 seed. In the 1st round of the playoffs, LeBron James would prove to be too much for the Wizards as he would lead the Cavaliers to their 1st postseason sweep in franchise history. LeBron james would lead the Cavaliers past the Nets for their 1st appearance in the Conference Finals since 1992. In Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron James exploded with a career playoff-high 48 points (a single game franchise record) scoring 29 of the teams finals 30 points including the teams final 25 points scoring all 18 of the team's points in the two overtime periods for a 109-107 double overtime win over the Detroit Pistons. The Cavaliers would go on and win Game 6 to advance to the NBA Finals for the 1st time in franchise history. In Game 1 of the 2007 NBA Finals, LeBron James was held to 14 points ending up suffering a loss to the San Antonio Spurs. In Game 2 of the 2007 NBA Finals, the Cavaliers were down by 29 and LeBron james would led the Cavs to a 25-6 run as he scored 25 points in Game 2 and the finals result was a loss to the Spurs. LeBron James was the top scorer in Game 3 of the 2007 NBA Finals with 25 points and he missed the game-tying 29 foot 3-pointer which would have sent the game to overtime and the Cavaliers would end up losing Game 3 75-72. LeBron James would lead the Cavs to a rally from down 11 in the 3rd Quarter as the Cavs would score 14 consecutive points to take the lead and LeBron James would score 24 points that game but however, the Spurs were able to pull away ending up beating the Cavaliers 83-82 to hand the Cavs a four-game sweep loss in the 2007 NBA Finals.

In the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, LeBron James scored 27 points which would earn him the NBA All-Star Game MVP award for the 2nd time in his career. On March 21, 2008, LeBron James scored 29 points which was enough to set the Cleveland Cavaliers career scoring record surpassing Brad Daugherty's 10,389 points. His seven triple-doubles during that season were enough to set the Cleveland Cavaliers single-season triple-double record. LeBron Jame's 2,250 points using the 2007-08 season resulting in LeBron James winning the 2008 NBA Scoring Title. LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a #4 seed in the 2008 NBA Playoffs. LeBron james led the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1st round of the 2008 NBA Playoffs including a triple-double in Game 6 with 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists to lead the Cavaliers to their 3rd consecutive 1st round victory over the Washington Wizards doing so in six games. In the 1st two games of the Conference Semifinals, LeBron James would be held to 8-for-42 shooting in two losses at the TD Garden to the Boston Celtics. The Cavs would bounce back with a game 3 blowout over the Celtics and in Game 4, LeBron James's dunk over Kevin Garnett fueled a win over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 to tie the series at 2-2. LeBron James's shooting improved for Game 5 at TD Garden but the Cavs still lost to the Celtics 96-89. In Game 6, although both teams were shooting under 40%, LeBron james managed to score 32 points, grab 12 rebounds, and have six assists to beat the Celtics 74-69 to force a Game 7. In Game 7, LeBron Games and Paul Pierce has a shooting dual with LeBron James winning the dual by scoring 45 points and Paul Pierce scored 41 points but however, Paul Pierce got the better end of the game as the Celtics eliminated the Cavaliers from the playoffs with a 97-92 Game 7 victory.

LeBron James finished 2nd in voting for the 2009 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award to winner Dwight Howard and for the 1st time in his career, he was on the NBA All-Defensive Team. LeBron James and Mo Williams led the Cavaliers to a 66-16 record and a #1 seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2009 NBA Playoffs. LeBron James was named NBA MVP for the 1st time in his career being the 1st player in Cavalier history to do so. LeBron james got off to a hot start in the 1st round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs with 38 points in Game 1 and an 102-84 victory over the Detroit Pistons. In Game 2, LeBron James had a double-double with 29 points and 13 rebounds in a 94-82 win over the Pistons. LeBron James led the Cavs in the two games at The Palace of Auburn Hills with two double-doubles with 25 points and 11 rebounds in Game 3, and 36 points and 13 rebounds in Game 4 also leading in assists both times with 9 in Game 3 and 8 in Game 4 and the Cavaliers would win both games to sweep the Pistons and advance to the conference semifinals. LeBron James continued to dominate in the conference semifinals with 34 points in Game 1 (and 10 rebounds to make a double-double), 27 point on Game 2, 47 points in Game 3 (with 12 rebounds to make a double-double and 8 assists), and 27 points in Game 4 (also leading his team in assists with 8) as the Cavaliers would beat the Atlanta Hawks in a four game sweep to advance to the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals. The 2009 Eastern Conference Finals would turn out to be a shooting dual between LeBron James and Dwight Howard, the two front-runners for the 2009 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. LeBron James would dominate Game 1 with 49 points while Dwight Howard had 30 and LeBron James had the potential game-winning three-point play but Rashard Lewis made a game-winning three-pointer to win Game 1. In Game 2, LeBron James would score 35 points and he made the buzzer-beater to win Game 2 and even the series 1-1. In Game 3, LeBron James's 41 points were not enough as Dwight Howard had 24 to win Game 3 99-89. LeBron James scored 44 points in Game 4 including the two free throws to sent the game to overtime but Dwight Howard's 27 points would propel the Magic to a Game 4 victory in overtime. LeBron James followed up with an impressive performance in Game 5 with a triple-double having 37 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists to win Game 5 112-102 to force a Game 6. LeBron James had a 25 point performance in Game 6 but it was not enough to outlast Dwight Howard's 40 points and the Cavs would lose 103-90 and be eliminated from the playoffs.

LeBron James playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James would win the NBA MVP award in 2010 winning it for the 2nd consecutive year leading Cleveland to the beat record in the NBA for the 2nd consecutive year. LeBron James would get off to a hot start during the playoffs as he scored 24 points in Game 1, 40 points in Game 2, 39 points in Game 3, and had a triple-double in Game 4 with 37 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists and the Cavs would beat the Chicago Bulls in five games. LeBron James's impressive performance would carry over to the Conference Semifinals against the Celtics with 35 points in Game 1, 24 points in Game 2, 38 points in Game 3, 22 points in Game 4, and 27 points in Game 6 but that was not enough to get past the Celtics as the Cavs would suffer a six game loss to the Celtics and get eliminated from the playoffs.

Dwyane Wade

Main article: Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade derivitave of his work for the Miami Heat.

Dwyane Wade started making something out of his name in the Elite Eight of the 2003 NCAA Tournament as he recorded a triple-double with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 83-69 victory one #1-seed Kentucky to win the Midwest Regional to advance to the 2003 Final Four as Dwyane Wade would be named Midwest Regional MVP.

Dwyane Wade was selected by the Miami Heat who had the 5th overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. After a rough start,Dwyane Wade led the Miami Heat to the playoffs. In Game 1 of the 1st round of the 2004 NBA Playoffs, Dwyane Wade would make the game-winning basket to beat the New Orleans Hornets 81-79 and the Heat would beat the Hornets in seven games to advance to the Conference Semifinals. In the Conference Semifinals, the Miami Heat would get beat by the Indiana Pacers in six games. Following his success, Dwyane Wade would be unanimously selected to the 2004 NBA All-Rookie Team and he would finish 3rd in voting for the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year award behind Carmelo Anthony and winner LeBron James.

Dwyane Wade was helped out in his 2nd year by Shaquille O'Neal who got traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Miami Heat and the Heat would do much better earning a spot in the 2005 NBA Playoffs. Dwyane Wade would have an impressive performance in the 1st round of the 2005 NBA Playoffs with a 32 point performance in Game 1 and a 34 point performance in Game 4 and the Miami Hat would end up sweeping the New Jersey Nets. The dominance of Dwyane Wade would carry over to the Conference Semifinals as Dwyane Wade would have 20 points in Game 1, 31 points in Game 2, 31 points in Game 3, and 42 points in Game 4 and the Miami Heat would sweep the Washington Wizards to advance to the 2005 Eastern Conference Finals. Dwyane Wade would shine in the early games of the 2005 Eastern Conference Finals, with 40 points in Game 2, 36 points in Game 3, and 28 points in Game 4 but he would miss Game 6 due to a rib injury as it would limit him in Game 7 as the Heat would lose to the Detroit Pistons in seven games.

Dwyane Wade would become a star by the 2005-06 NBA season and in the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, Dwyane Wade would make the game-winning basket with 16 seconds left to lead the Eastern Conference to a 122-120 victory. Dwyane Wade would get the Miami Heat into the playoffs for the 3rd consecutive year. Dwyane Wade would get off to a solid start in the 2006 NBA Playoffs highlighted by a 30 point performance in Game 1, a 26 point performance in Game 3, and a 28 performance in Game 5 as the Heat would beat the Chicago Bulls in six games. Dwyane Wade's solid performance would continue through the Conference Semifinals with 25 points in Game 1, 31 points in Game 2, 30 points in Game 3, and 31 points in Game 4 and the Heat would beat the Nets in five games. Even playing through injuries, Dwyane Wade would still remain solid for the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals as he had 25 points in Game 1, 32 points in Game 2, 35 points in Game 3, 31 points in Game 4, and 23 points in Game 5 as the Heat would beat the Pistons in six games to advance to the 2006 NBA Finals. Dwyane Wade would have a hot performance in the 2006 NBA Finals with 28 points in Game 1, 23 points in Game 2, a double-double in Game 3 with 42 points and 13 rebounds, 36 points in Game 4, 43 points in Game 5, and 36 points in Game 6 as the Heat would beat the Dallas Mavericks in six games and Dwyane Wade would win the 2006 Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award becoming the 5th youngest player to win the award.

In the 2006-07 season, Dwyane Wade missed 31 games due to injury but he still got to go to the 2007 NBA All-Star Game and he still received All-NBA honors and the Miami Heat still got into the playoffs but in the playoffs, the Heat would be swept by the Bulls.

The following season, Dwyane Wase would be battling a knee surgery and he would still make it to the 2008 NBA All-Star Game but however, the Miami Heat would have the worst record in the Eastern Conference.

Dwyane Wade derivitave of his work for the Miami Heat.

The following season, Dwyane Wade's leg would get better and his season was better too as he won the 2009 NBA scoring title with 2,386 points during the season. In addition, the Miami Heat would make the playoffs as a result of his impressive performance. Dwyane Wade's impressive performance would carry over to the post-season with 19 points in Game 1, 33 points in Game 2, 29 points in Game 3, 22 points in Game 4, 29 points in Game 5, 41 points in Game 6, and 31 points in Game 7, but that was not enough to beat the Atlanta Hawks as the Cavs would suffer a seven game loss to the Hawks.

In the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, Dwyane Wade would have a double-double with 28 points and 11 assists and in addition, Dwyane Wade had 6 rebounds and 5 steals and as a result, he would be named the 2010 NBA All-Star Game MVP. Dwyane Wade would get the Miami Heat back in the playoffs. Dwyane Wade would have a successful performance in the 2010 NBA Playoffs with 26 points in Game 1, 29 points in Game 2, 34 points in Game 3, 46 points in Game 4, and 31 points in Game 5 but that would not be enough as the Heat would lose to the Boston Celtics in five games and face early elimination for the 2nd consecutive year.

Chris Bosh

Main article: Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh shooting a free throw for the Toronto Raptors

Chris Bosh played for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets dousing his college career and went one-and-done. Chris Bosh was selected by the Toronto Raptors who had the 4th overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. Chris Bosh would be on the 2004 NBA All-Rookie Team.

In just his 2nd season, Chris Bosh would become the star player for the Raptors. As the star for the Toronto Raptors, Chris Bosh was named NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of January 3–9, 2005. As the season drew to a close, Chris Bosh had the potential to be a future all-star.

Before the 2005-06 season Chris Bosh was named the captain for the Toronto Raptors. Three days after Chris Bosh was named NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Chris Bosh was selected to play for the Eastern Conference in the 2006 NBA All-Star Game. After Chris Bosh had a season ending injury, the Raptors would have a 1-10 skid.

Chris Bosh was selected to the 2007 NBA All-Star Game as a starter. Later that season, Chris Bosh would receive popularity from Raptors fans at the Air Canada Centre when they chanted "MVP". Chris Bosh led the Toronto Raptors to the playoffs for the 1st time in five years. Chris Bosh was not so successful in the playoffs though, as the Raptors would lose to the New Jersey Nets in six games.

Chris Bosh had a slow start to the season but as the season went on, Chris Bosh would get better and eventually be named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the 2nd week in January. Chris Bosh would be selected to play in the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. Chris Bosh would manage to get the Raptors in the playoffs. Chris Bosh would have two double-doubles in the 1st would of the playoffs with 29 points and 10 rebounds in Game 2, and 39 points and 15 rebounds in Game 4, but that was not enough as the Raptors would be eliminated in the 1st round for the 2nd straight year losing to the Orlando Magic in a five game series.

Chris Bosh would be selected to the 2009 NBA All-Star Game but as a reserve but however, an injury prevented him from playing in that game. Chris Bosh would fail to get the Raptors back into the playoffs.

On January 3, 2010, Chris Bosh had a 22-point performance to pass Vince Carter for the Toronto Raptors scoring record. Chris Bosh would be invited to the 2010 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve. As a result of injuries to Chris Bosh and Hedo Türkoğlu, the Raptors went straight from the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference to fighting for the 8th seed with the Chicago Bulls. On March 22, Chris Bosh had his 44th double-double to set the Raptors record for career double-doubles. On April 5, 2010, Chris Bosh was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the 7th time in his career tying the Raptors record for player of the week awards. However, Chris Bosh had an injury which prevented him from playing in the April 11th game vs. the Chicago Bulls and as a result, the Raptors would get blown out by the Bulls and would lose the battle for the final playoff spot as a result of this loss.

"Big Three"

July 8, 2010: The Decision

On July 8, 2010, LeBron James made a 75-minute TV special on his free-agency decision which aired on ESPN called "The Decision" hosted by former ESPN employee Jim Gray. The TV special was a success however as he raised roughly $6,000,000 for charity and about $2,500,000 would go to the Boys and Girls club. And that was the reason LeBron James made his TV special. It seemed unnecessary to spend over an hour discussing his free agency and having it nationally televised. A sportsnation poll was taken on which team LeBron James will join and Ohio said that he would rejoin the Cavaliers, Illinois said that he will join the Bulls, New York said he would join the Knicks, and the rest of the world said he would join the Heat. When he made his decision, he said "In this fall ... this is very tough ... in this fall I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat" and he admitted that that was the conclusion he woke up with that morning. Due to the way he announced his move to Miami, he immediately became the NBA's biggest villain.

July 9, 2010: Miami Welcome Party

The following day, the Big Three was introduced to the American Airlines Arena crowd together for the 1st time in their career. The arena was filled with concert lighting, blaring music, plenty of smoke and signs everywhere claiming "Yes. We. Did." Rather than this being a opportunity for Miami Heat fans to celebrate, their event became a mockery. And this was because they all felt like they were important, especially LeBron James. LeBron James counted the titled that were not there yet and he predicted that the Big Three would win eight titles while in Miami.

September 28, 2010: Big 3's First Practice

On September 28, 2010, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were practicing together for the 1st time in their career with uniforms that said "HEAT", not uniforms that said USA. During that practice, LeBron James was vocal, active, and assertive. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade even argued over the score of a scrimmage that ended the practice. Riley had intended for this practice to be a chance to bring the Big Three together giving them the chance to get the right attitude that would be required to win, especially because they were the most targeted team in the NBA that season.

February 15, 2011: East Coast Lob City

Early in a February 15 game against the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse, Danny Granger missed a shot and Dwyane Wade would snatch the rebound and made a full-court QB pass to LeBron James who would dunk it in to put the Miami Heat up 33-12. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had other impressive plays like that, but that was the most perfect ply they have had in their careers so far. That play was a result of their athleticism, precision, and teamwork and once they decide to become teammates, they could make plays just like that.

March 6, 2011: Cry Babies

Late in the 4th Quarter in a March 6 game against their rival, the Chicago Bulls at American Airlines Arena, LeBron James missed a left-handed layup over Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls which cost the Heat the game losing 87-86 at home. After the game, he did not specify who, but head coach Erik Spoelstra witnessed players crying in the locker room. After the game, LeBron James pledged to his team that he would not let them down again like he did that time as the teams reaction to the loss brought the Miami Heat hatred to an all-time high.

May 26, 2011: Hollywood as Hell

In Game 5 of the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls, the Miami Heat made a dramatic comeback in the final minutes featuring a game-ending 18-3 run, down 77-65 with 3:03 remaining, to beat the Bulls 83-80 to win the series and advance to the 2011 NBA Finals. After the game, Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls, who had a history of hating LeBron James because in 2009 (LeBron's last season in Cleveland), he took exception to LeBron James dancing during the game, thought "You gotta give Miami credit. They're Hollywood as Hell, but they're a very good team." Joakim Noah's reaction was surprising and good sportsmanship, especially since the Heat had beaten them when they were so close to going to the Finals.

June 7, 2011: 2011 Finals, Game 4

During Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Finals, every Miami Heat fan was shocked with LeBron's poor performance. It was pretty shocking for heat fans to see the player who won two of the past three NBA MVP Awards and who counted eight NBA championships on stage having the 1st one in his sights to only score eight points in an NBA Finals game despite being guarded by significantly shorter players like Jason Kidd and tiny J.J. Barea. It was like the best player in basketball fearing ultimate success rather than chasing it. It was his worst game in the NBA Finals.

June 12, 2011: Heat lose to Mavs

The Big Three's 1se season together ended with a loss in Game 6 of the 2011 NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. This was marked by Chris Bosh falling to his knees and bring in the hallway to the locker room. After the loss, LeBron James addressed his haters with this message: "All the people that were rooting for me to fail, at the end of the day, they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that [they had] before they woke up today. They got the same personal problems they had today. And I'm going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things I want to do." His message was more ammunition for the anti-LeBron community. Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert sent a congratulatory tweet to Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban: "Congrats to Mark C.&entire Mavs org. Mavs NEVER stopped & now entire franchise gets rings. Old Lesson for all:There are NO SHORTCUTS. NONE"

December 6, 2011: Regretting Decision

After a summer to get over their loss in the 2011 NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks and an extended offseason due to the 2011 NBA Lockout, LeBron James vowed to enjoy basketball again rather than play the villain role he accepted in Miami. Admitting regret, LeBron James told a reporter that if he had to do it all again, he wouldn't go through his TV show called The Decision which gave him the negative attention.

January 29, 2012: Bike Ride & Leap Frog

On January 29, 2012, LeBron James decided to ride his bike to the American Airlines Arena with a marathon in Miami clogging up traffic to a game against the Chicago Bulls. He took a three-mile trip to the arena on a bike that said "King James" on it. He enjoyed his Miami royalty just pedaling through Miami traffic. In the 1st quarter of the game, Dwyane Wade had an alley-oop pass to LeBron James in which LeBron caught one-handed and he slammed it in completely jumping over John Lucas III to do so.

February 26, 2012: Kobe To Bron: Shoot!

During the 2012 NBA All-Star Game with the Eastern Conference trailing the Western Conference 151-149 with 16 seconds left, LeBron James had the opportunity to give the Eastern Conference the lead. First, LeBron James passed the ball to Deron Williams who missed and then, LeBron got an offensive rebound and then he was ready shot a three-pointer being guarded by Kobe Bryant having made six three-pointers during the game but instead, he tried t pass the ball to teammate Dwyane Wade and his pass was intercepted by Blake Griffin and the West would pull away with a 152-149 victory.

March 22, 2012: Tribute to Trayvon

That same night LeBron James passed up his final shot at the 2012 NBA All-Star Game, 17-year old Trayvon Martin was killed in Sanford, Florida. on March 22, 2012, the Miami Heat decided to release a statement and a powerful tribute photo with the team bowing their heads wearing hooded sweatshirts like the one Trayvon Martin wore the night he was killed. Dwyane Wade said that the situation reminded him of home because all his oldest son wanted as a gift last Christmas was hoodies.

May 17, 2012: Lance Taunts LeBron

When LeBron James missed a second-half free throw during Game 3 of the 2012 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers, Lance Stephenson got into the act of taunting LeBron be displaying the choke sign from the bench. Once it was done, the Heat were down 2-1 against the Pacers in a desperate situation to win. LeBron James was seen screaming to encourage his teammates to comeback and win the next three games. The Miami Heat would win the next three games and beat the Pacers in a six game series to advance to the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals while getting some revenge on Lance Stephenson when Dexter Pittman elbowed him during Game 5.

June 7, 2012: LeBron To The Rescue

The Miami Heat were on the brink of elimination with LeBron James's season and reputation and perhaps his career on the line in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden after losing three consecutive games to the Boston Celtics. Bit this time, he had the confidence, not the fear. LeBron James absolutely dominated during Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals with 45 points, 19-of-26 shooting, 15 rebounds, and none of the passivity that he had showed in the big games of the past. His success in Game 6 carried over to his teammates as his teammates would go 18 for 50 and would score 53 points. As a result of LeBron's dominance, the Miami Heat won Game 6 98-79 winning the respect of many and also forcing a Game 7 at American Airlines Arena in which the Heat would win to advance to the 2012 NBA Finals.

June 21, 2012: Not One ... Yes, One!

During the final moments of the 2012 NBA Finals, LeBron James was celebrating by repeatedly pumping his fists in the air and hopping up and down to the beat and celebrating the series-clinching win with the Heat fans donned in white. After the Oklahoma City Thunder won Game 1, the Miami Heat would win four straight to win the 2012 NBA Finals in five games over the Thunder. LeBron James was the MVP of the 2012 NBA Finals averaging 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists.

January 25, 2013: LeBron Tackels Fan

After Michael Drysch, a 50-year old computer technician from McHenry, Illinois, made a half court shot for a chance to win $75,000, LeBron James came in sprinting from the Miami Heat bench to celebrate his half court shot by tackling him to the floor. Dwyane Wade said the arena erupted like they'd won the NBA Finals.

February 3, 2013: Heat Start Streak

On Super Bowl Sunday, after the Miami Heat beat the Toronto Raptors 100-85 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Erik Spoelstra allowed the team to stay in Toronto to watch Super Bowl XLVII. This win over the Toronto Raptors started the 2nd longest winning streak in NBA history.

March 20, 2013: Cavs Fan Says Hello

The Miami Heat would come back from down 27 during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena for their 24th consecutive win. The interesting part however, was when James Blair, managed to reach the court without interruption to say hello to LeBron James wearing a T-Shirt that says "We Miss You" on the front side and "2014 COME BACK" on the back side and LeBron actually responded and followed him on Twitter afterward calling him "brave".

May 10, 2013: Bully Ball Supreme

With the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals series being tied 1-1 for Game 3 against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center, it reached a crescendo. While trying to slow down LeBron James at mid court, Nazr Mohammed fouled LeBron James and he responded by flinging Mohammed to the floor. Mohammed responded by getting up and shoving LeBron James to the floor resulting in an ejection.

May 30, 2013: LeBron Said What?

After a game of the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse against the Indiana Pacers in which LeBron James scored 16 of his 30 points in the 3rd quarter, he said "Yeah, I kind of just went back to my cleveland days at that point." Normally when he says "Cleveland", he means that he will return to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 but this time, he probably did not mean it.

June 16, 2013: Down 3-2, 2013 NBA Finals

At first, Erik Spoelstra decided to shake things up a bit for Game 4 of the 2013 NBA Finals when he started Mike Miller when Dwyane Wade had a throwback performance to tie the series at 2-2. Gregg Popovich responded by starting Manu Ginobili in Game 5, their final game at AT&T Center that season in hopes of putting the Spurs on the brink of another championship. Mani Ginobili was a factor in Game 5 as he would score 24 points as the Spurs shot 60% from the floor and beat the Heat 114-104 to give the Spurs a 3-2 series lead heading back to Miami. The last time the Heat was down 3-2, LeBron James exploded with a 45 point performance the next game. How would he respond this time?

June 18, 2013: Best. Game 6. Ever.

With the Spurs up 93-89 with 28 seconds left, Manu Ginóbili made 1 of 2 free throws to give the Spurs a 94-89 lead and the league officials were preparing for the presentation of the Larry O'Brien Trophy presentation. LeBron James would miss a 3-pointer which would be rebounded by Mike Miller who passed the ball to LeBron James and then, James would make a 3-pointer to cut the Spurs lead to 94-92. Kawhi Leonard would make 1 of his 2 free throws to give the Spurs a 95-92 lead. Then, LeBron James missed a 3-pointer which was rebounded by Chris Bosh who passed it to Ray Allen and with the Spurs up 95-92 with 5.2 seconds left, Ray Allen made a three-pointer to tie the game at 95-95 to send the game to overtime. The Heat would prevail to win 103-100 in overtime to force Game 7.

June 20, 2013: Spurs-Heat, Game 7

With the Heat up 90-88 with 50 seconds left, Tim Duncan missed a hook shot, and then an easy outback attempt guarded by Shane Battier and Chris Bosh rebounded the missed basket and LeBron James made a 19-foot jumper to give the Heat a 92-88 lead with 27 seconds left. The Miami Heat would celebrate after their 95-88 victory in Game 7 but it will be Game 6 that will be forever remembered by the Miami Heat.

August 7, 2013: Heat sign Greg Oden

On August 7, 2013, The TMiami Heat managed to sign Greg Oden who used to play for Ohio State once taking them to the national title game, and who was the #1 pick in the 2007 NBA draft being selected by the Portland Trail Blazers.

October 23, 2013: Oden Returns to Floor

On October 23, 2013, in a preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Greg Oden turned a preseason game into an event for the 1st time since 2009. On his 1st possession, Greg Oden made a two-handed dunk. In only four minutes of action, Greg Oden made a comeback not very many people thought was possible. The Heat celebrated Greg Oden's dunk like it was a key playoff basket which made that preseason game memorable for the Heat.

December 18, 2013: Blame it on Rio

In a heated game against their rival, the Indiana Pacers, LeBron James lunged at Mario Chalmers during a timeout. A bit later, LeBron James apologized to Mario Chalmers by saying "I was wrong. My bad."

January 14, 2014: LeBron Jealous of KD

Even with four MVP's and two championships in hand, LeBron James still can't help but notice how fun it seems when Kevin Durant is launching shot after shot leading the league in scoring. On January 14, 2014, during the Miami Heat's trip to the White House, LeBron James said "I get jealous sometimes when I look over at KD and he's like 16-for-32 [from the field] and then 14-for-34. ... Man, But there are games where I have it going, and then at the end of the game, I'm like, damn, I shot just 12-for-16? Why don't I get up at least six or seven more? I definitely notice it."

February 12, 2014: Game-Winning Three

On February 12, 2014, trailing 110-108 with less than a second remaining, rather than calling timeout or going for a quick two, LeBron James shot the game-winning pointer and the shot was successfully made for a 111-110 win over the Golden State Warriors.

March 21, 2014: Mike Miller's Return

On March 21, 2014, Mike Miller, who provided the Big Three help in the NBA Finals in 2012 and 2013, made his return to American Airlines Arena as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.

March 22, 2014: Bad Loss In Big Easy

After a 105-95 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center, [[LeBron James gave a brief speech with the media and in disappointment, he went to the team bus 30 minutes before the rest of the team boarded. In the meantime, Chris Bosh said "We Suck" and lamented the lack of passion on the squad.

March 28, 2014: Salary-Cap Blues

LeBron James could not help but lament his situation when Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera signed a 10-year $292,000,000 contract with the Tigers. Miguel Cabrera's contract gave him $31,000,000 per year while LeBron thought he was worth $50,000,000 per year.

April 26, 2014: Voice Heard

LeBron James has found his voice ever since winning his first championship and flaming the mystical throne as the beat player in the game. LeBron, unlike past superstars, especially Michael Jordan, hasn't ben afraid to throw his weight around on significant topics. When Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has an audio taped released on his racist remarks, LeBron did not hold back as he said "I believe in [commissioner] Adam [Silver], I believe in the NBA. And they have to do something, do something very fast, before this gets out of hand. Like I said, there's no room for Donald Sterling in our league. So there it is."

May 30, 2014: Back in the Finals

After forcing the Heat to a seven-game series in last years Eastern Conference Finals, many believed the Indiana Pacers would take the next step and go on to the NBA Finals. The Pacers were looking to beat Miami on the road for a Game 7 at Banker Life Fieldhouse. Only one thing got in their way, their own success. The Pacers could not handle being the hunted and down the stretch faltered to a point where defending the Heat would become a long shot again. The Heat would dominate Game 6 with a 117-92 won over the Pacers to advance to the NBA Finals for the 4th consecutive year joining the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers as the only teams to reach the NBA Finals for four consecutive seasons.

June 5, 2014: The Cramp Game

During Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals, the Air conditioning system at AT&T Center was not functioning properly midway through the 1st quarter and as a result, the temperatures got up to 90 °F (32 °C) in the 2nd half. Everyone in attendance, including the players, knew that the AT&T Center's air conditioning system broke down. Due to the Heat bench being limited, and this being a big game in extreme conditions for an indoor event, a handful of people thought "LeBron James will cramp up." Indeed, he did when with 4:15 remaining in the 4th quarter, LeBron drove for a layup and then got the cramps and was therefore escorted to the bench in so tremendous pain that he could not move his left leg and then, San Antonio was able to pull away and win Game 1 110-95.

June 15th 2014: End Of An Era?

The Miami Heat experienced the pain of losing in the NBA Finals in 2011 when they got beat by the Dallas Mavericks in six games taking advantage of LeBron James having an off-series. The San Antonio Spurs experienced much worse pain in 2013 after losing Games 6 and 7 when they were very close to winning it all. All the Spurs cared about was another chance at the title and once they got to the Finals, the Spurs manifested themselves with near-perfect basketball. After the Miami Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs 98-96 in Game 2, the Spurs would trounce the Heat the rest of the way with a 111-92 Game 3 win, a 107-86 Game 4 win, and a 104-87 Game 5 win, but it was also due to the Heat's off-performances by teammates other than LeBron. The Heat will need to make lots of improvements in order to win another championship.