"KD's tweeted before that he would never do something like that.... But one of the greats just did it" - Iman Shumpert highlights the impact LeBron James' move to Miami had on the NBA
LeBron James is one of the most influential players in modern basketball. He has a stacked resume and has won a championship for three different teams. The stature of LeBron James is such that every decision in his career gets talked about in the media, one of them being his move to the Miami Heat in 2010.
He received heavy criticism for leaving his hometown and joining forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in South Beach. However, this gave many other superstars a chance to decide their future in the league.
James' former teammate, Iman Shumpert, believes Kevin Durant's move to the Golden State Warriors was inspired by James' decision to leave the Cavaliers. Giving an explanation for the same in his interview with "Vlad TV," the former NBA champion said:
"Bron went there [Miami Heat] and everybody's like, 'This is cool, everybody cool with this,' after that everybody's gotta deal with it. But now that opens up the mind of somebody like KD, KD's tweeted before that he would never do something like that. ... But one of the greats just did it."
Kevin Durant, like LeBron James, was successful in winning his first championship after making a career-altering decision. After winning two championships with the Dubs, KD decided to take up another challenge. He teamed up with Kyrie Irving on the Brooklyn Nets.
It would be fair to say that LeBron James' trade did open a lot of opportunities for stars to decide their future. While James dominated in his run with the Heat, it is certainly not as easy as it seems to be playing on a super team.
One of the biggest examples is this season. Both the Brooklyn Nets and LA Lakers failed to make any sort of impact, despite having the biggest stars in the league.
Kevin Durant the last three years:
- 2017 NBA All-Star
- 2017 All-NBA Second
- 2017 NBA Champion
- 2017 NBA Finals MVP
- 2018 NBA All-Star
- 2018 All-NBA First
- 2018 NBA Champion
- 2018 NBA Finals MVP
- 2019 NBA All-Star
- 2019 NBA All-Star MVP
- Avg 35 PPG in 19 Playoffs https://t.co/bYRzQBRb0K
LeBron James' path to four NBA championships has not been all that easy
LeBron James has faced a lot of big stars in the league. To battle them, he had teammates like Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. However, James has always been the best player on his team.
His first title run came in 2012, where he defeated the OKC Thunder to claim his first Larry O'Brien trophy. He received a lot of criticism for his failure to lead the Heat past the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, but the kid from Akron responded well.
The OKC Thunder team had the likes of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and James Harden.
The two best players of the generation. The coldest hooper ever and the most freakishly dominant specimen we’ve seen on the grandest stage. Crazy to think Durant was only 23 here. LBJ and the Heat won in 5.Kevin Durant and LeBron James going at it in the 2012 #NBAFinals 😳🔥 The two best players of the generation. The coldest hooper ever and the most freakishly dominant specimen we’ve seen on the grandest stage. Crazy to think Durant was only 23 here. LBJ and the Heat won in 5. https://t.co/fEEnhcsa50
He continued his brilliance with the Heat in the following season. They secured back-to-back championships with a win over the San Antonio Spurs in 2013. He averaged 25.3 PPG, 10.9 RPG and 7.0 APG against a tough San Antonio Spurs team that had Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard and Tim Duncan.
Although Ray Allen's 3-pointer helped them get back in Game 7, James had a significant impact. He was awarded the Finals MVP trophy for the second year running.
After winning two championships with the Heat and making four finals with them, he decided to return home to Cleveland in 2014. In his first year, he led the Cavs to the NBA Finals, but fell short against a resilient Golden State Warriors team.
However, the following season, he displayed a staggering performance in the finals. He led the Cavaliers to their first championship in franchise history.
Clutch Blocks in Playoffs History…
"OHHHH.. BLOCKED BY JAMES!"
LeBron James chases down the layup attempt late in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, helping the Cavaliers win their first-ever title! https://t.co/owr7cTAcsc
It was a historic run as the Cavs became the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals. LeBron James carried the team to two more final appearances, but each time the Warriors kept getting stronger. After spending four seasons in Cleveland, he decided to go to the LA Lakers in 2018.
His experiment proved to be a big failure as the team did not make the playoffs in his first year there. However, when the team added Anthony Davis, the purple and gold became a force to be reckoned with.
Despite playing in the bubble, the Lakers showed great composure as they were led by James. He won yet another Finals MVP trophy for his brilliant leadership.
LeBron James believes the GOAT conversation changed when the Cavs came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
"At that moment, I was like I'm the greatest basketball player people have ever seen in all facets." https://t.co/23QckmrHv7
James is one of the best postseason performers in NBA history. His road to glory has always been tough, but LeBron James always comes out on top when the odds are against him.
Once again, many are counting him out after the LA Lakers' disappointing run in the 2021-22 season. He will be looking to respond strongly by once again leading them to play on the biggest stage of them all.