Ranking LeBron James’ top three teammates from his stint with the Miami Heat
LeBron James has built an extraordinary career that has seen him amass four championships, four MVP turns and a record 17 NBA All-Star nods in his first 18 pro seasons. And his legacy also includes the trend of building superteams.
Despite James being in the conversation with Michael Jordan as the greatest of all time, plenty of light for his success shines on the extraordinarily talented teammates the icon has played alongside. That spotlight, of course, includes the superteam he constructed to take the Miami Heat to back-to-back NBA titles - the first championships of James' career.
The trio of James (No. 1), Chris Bosh (No. 4) and Dwyane Wade (No. 5) were all top picks in the 2003 draft years before coming together in South Beach in 2010.
LeBron James' top teammates in Miami
After exercising his free-agent clause and leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Heat before the 2010-11 season, James piloted the superteam to back-to-back titles beginning in 2012.
Take a look at James’ top three teammates during his time in Miami.
No. 3 Ray Allen
Allen is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer who played for the Heat between 2012-2014. The legend won two championship rings in his 18 seasons in the league, his second ring coming while playing with James in the 2012-13 season.
After leaving the Boston Celtics because of personal reasons and an apparent lack of appreciation, the shooting guard meshed well with James. Allen, who helped Boston to the 2008 NBA title, averaged 10.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in his 152 appearances over two seasons for the Heat.
His first season was his best, with the shooting guard contributing 10.9 points per game. His signature moment came in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, when Allen, playing the role of clutch sixth man, made a game-tying 3-pointer to lead with 5.2 seconds left in regulation. After the Heat rallied to win 103-100 in overtime to set up a tense Game 7, Miami prevailed 95-88 in the finale.
No. 2 Chris Bosh
The third part of the Heat's “Big Three” was Bosh, known as "CB4" while blossoming as a superstar with the Toronto Raptors. Both Bosh and James were signed by Miami as free agents in the summer of 2010, and the pair enjoyed four successful seasons, including the two titles.
Not 1, not 2, not 3, but 9 years ago, the Heat’s Big 3 of LeBron James, D-Wade and Chris Bosh were introduced 🔥 https://t.co/474Z83QPan
The Hall of Famer averaged 18 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 384 games for the Heat, making the NBA All-Star team in all of his four seasons with James. His stellar achievements with the Heat, even after James' departure, led to the retirement of his No. 1 jersey. Bosh was an 11-time All-Star in 13 seasons before injuries ended his career.
No. 1 Dwyane Wade
Wade, James' good friend, was one of the faces of the NBA, long before James arrived in Miami. Wade had led the Heat to the 2006 NBA title. Years later, the NBA legend played an important role in the offseason signings of LBJ and Bosh in 2010.
Wade ⚡️ to James 👑
It was always SHOWTIME for @dwyanewade and @kingjames in Miami 🔥 https://t.co/SXbTMHTvpJ
The 13-time All-Star assumed a friend-agent position in the facilitation of a deal for James, famously known as “The Decision.” After initial friction and a clash of egos in a competition to be the team’s leading player, the pair hit it off, stepping up their chemistry and performances in their second season together, winning back-to-back championships in the process.
The shooting guard, who led Miami to the 2006 NBA title, averaged 22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in his 948 regular-season appearances for the Heat.