Watch: Revisiting LeBron James and Dwyane Wade's iconic dunk as the sensational moment celebrates its 11th anniversary
On this day 11 years ago, the basketball world witnessed one of the most iconic alley-oop dunks the NBA has ever seen thanks to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade playing for the Miami Heat.
The iconic duo, while playing for the South Beach franchise, created this moment of magic. It is something that will live long in the folklore of the NBA and has inspired many to recreate it.
The game ended with the Miami Heat beating the Milwaukee Bucks 88-78 thanks to the performances of both LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, as the former had 17 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists while the latter recorded a stat line that read 25 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists all the while shooting 45% from the field.
This was still the early days of the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh era with the Miami Heat but they still managed to finish second in the Eastern Conference with a 58-24 record, behind only the Chicago Bulls.
How good were LeBron James and Dwyane Wade during the Miami Heat years?
One of the greatest duos the game of basketball has ever seen, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade during the Miami Heat days, was an absolute box office gold mine. Playing for such a historic franchise, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade brought success to the team with style and panache.
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh played together for four years from the 2010-11 season to the end of the 2013-14 season. They made the NBA Finals in all four seasons, winning the championship twice in 2012 and 2013.
Ray Allen.
Dwyane Wade.
Chris Bosh.
LeBron James.
Former teammates at #21HoopClass Enshrinement Ceremony! https://t.co/ljwQ9dzBbz
It wasn't all smooth sailing for the Miami Heat during those days. The 2011 NBA Finals performance by LeBron James against the Dallas Mavericks is considered to be the lowest point of his career. However, he did redeem himself the following season with a historic performance against the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, where King James dropped 45 points.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade: 98 points; 30-33 FG inside paint combined last 2 games http://t.co/TcVGl14nx3
Dwyane Wade, on the other hand, realized that he needed to play second fiddle to LeBron James and handed James the proverbial keys to the team. He let King James take the mantle as the team's number one option and that resulted in back-to-back championships.
Towards the end, though, both Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade were hit with injuries. By the time the trio's tenure together ended in 2014, The Flash was nowhere near the player that he was during his peak years and neither was Bosh. This resulted in LeBron James leaving the Miami Heat for a return to the team that drafted him in 2003 - the Cleveland Cavaliers.
There is no doubt that the Miami Heat fans look back at those four years with fondness and affection for that team and the players. While the 2011 NBA Finals loss still haunts some, the next two years were considered some of the best days for the franchise as the Heat have reached the NBA Finals just once since LeBron James left them.