Heat's financial advisor reveals landing LeBron James in Miami with alluring $15 million offer: "Are you man enough to take heat?"
In the four seasons that LeBron James played with the Miami Heat, he won two straight NBA championships to strengthen his legacy. Interestingly, financial advisor Suze Orman was approached by Heat president Pat Riley to figure out a way to acquire James and Chris Bosh without losing Dwyane Wade. Creatively enough, Orman figured it out with an alluring $15 million offer.
After computing the numbers with accountants, Suze Orman figured that James and Bosh could earn more by being Florida residents. This is due to the lack of state income taxes. From Orman's perspective, it was enough to make an enticing selling pitch to the two NBA All-Stars.
Orman revealed this in an interview with The Wall Street Journal's Lane Florsheim. She said in the article that she recorded herself with the selling pitch.
"How would you like to make an extra $15 million a year and not play one more game, not do one more endorsement, anything?" Orman asked. "Are you man enough to take the heat?"
The video was recorded on an iPod and sent to the two trade targets of the Miami Heat. Fortunately enough for the team, LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined forces with Dwyane Wade to form the electric "Big 3" of Miami.
Acquiring high-marque NBA players while retaining a team's current star player is no easy task to accomplish. This was more evident back when the NBA was slowly transitioning to where it is now when it comes to expensive player contracts. In the case of Miami, they were lucky that Suze Orman could find a way to make their envisioned all-star team-up a reality.
LeBron James felt underpaid when he was with the Miami Heat
Despite capturing his first two NBA titles with the Miami Heat, LeBron James felt he was underpaid during his tenure there. ESPN's Brian Windhorst initially revealed this on his "Hoop Collective" podcast on Aug. 19, 2022.
When he joined the Heat, the 19-time NBA All-Star signed a six-year, $110 million contract, which was considered a bit of a step down from the amount of a max contract.
However, this was a needed tactical move from the Heat's perspective, as it gave them more room to sign much-needed veteran pieces to the roster. Granted, this kind of frustration from LeBron James didn't affect his game on the court, as he remained in top form during those four seasons in Miami.
NBA franchises have to go through certain routes when it comes to working out player contracts for the goal of winning championships. In the end, the Heat's iconic "Big 3" lived up to their immense expectations as they got the job done in the seasons they played together.