"It wasn't KD. It was LeBron first going to Miami" - Iman Shumpert believes former teammate LeBron James started the 'superteam' culture in the NBA
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and go to the Miami Heat back in 2010 was one of the most seismic decisions in NBA history.
Arguably the best player in the world at the time, LeBron James teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami was a move that changed the outlook of the NBA. It was a move that was heavily criticized and continues to be so, as the latest person in a long line of critics is Iman Shumpert.
Iman Shumpert shared the court with LeBron James for the Cleveland Cavaliers during LeBron's second stint with the Cavs. Shumpert, while speaking on the Bootleg Kev podcast, said:
"It wasn't KD. It was LeBron first going to Miami. LeBron knows he ruined basketball. He thought he was making it better. Me personally, I loved the NBA for the loyalty that I thought was there. He basically knocked the fourth wall down."
Comparing Kevin Durant's move to the Golden State Warriors and LeBron James' move to the Miami Heat, Shumpert came to the conclusion that it was King James' move that caused a seismic change in the NBA, especially the mentality of the players. Shumpert continued:
"Great business move for sure. But when you think about it outside looking in, I got people tweeting me right now, they're literally talking about owners and trade."
How successful was LeBron James with the Miami Heat?
Growing tired of dysfunction within the organization as a player for the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James decided to take his talent to the Miami Heat franchise, thus creating one of the greatest teams of all time alongside the likes of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Players with 15+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists, 3+ blocks in a playoff game in Miami Heat franchise history:
- LeBron James (2x)
- Dwyane Wade
- Bam Adebayo today https://t.co/p3ywiamaMp
LeBron James, during his four years with the Miami-based franchise, reached the NBA Finals on all four occasions and won the championship twice - in 2012 and 2013. The first year ended as a colossal failure as LeBron James had a shocking Finals series against the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. The series ended in six games in favor of the Dallas Mavericks.
With Dwyane Wade recognizing how LeBron needs to take more control and stamp his authority, he handed James the proverbial keys to the team. LeBron James hasn't looked back since.
On this date in 2012, LeBron James had 45 points, 15 rebounds & 5 assists as the Heat beat the Celtics, 98-79, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conf. Finals in Boston.
The Heat would win the series in 7 games, then go on to defeat the Thunder in 5 games in the NBA Finals. https://t.co/8ZQxjiwIt8
King James, in the following campaign with the season on the line, produced one of the greatest performances in the history of the NBA against the Boston Celtics. This propelled the team forward as they captured their first championship together later that year.
The Miami Heat repeated by beating the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals as LeBron James was back-to-back Finals MVP. James also picked up the regular-season MVP award and came runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
The following season, LeBron James and the Miami Heat would once again make the NBA Finals. However, in what was a re-match of the previous year's Finals, the Miami Heat came up short against the Spurs despite LeBron James averaging over 28 points on better than 57% shooting from the field and over 51% from beyond the arc.
That was the last season LeBron James played for the Miami Heat as he returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in hopes of bringing a championship to Cleveland. He succeeded in his endeavor in 2016.