Miami Heat: The Big 3’s Star Power Would Still Be Hard To Match In Today’s Era
Let’s look at the past ten NBA championship teams.
Superstars
Some stars that have appeared on at least one of these teams every year were LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Kawhi Leonard, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. These five players also happen to be the top five players in the NBA.
Coincidence? Probably not.
With a few exceptions over the course of NBA history, in order to win an NBA championship, a team will usually need a top-five player in the league. Then they’ll need one or two co-stars, along with a good supporting cast.
The Heatles were one of the best trios of all time. The best of the three, LeBron James, played at his highest level when we was on the Heat.
He won two MVPs during his time with the Miami Heat.
Not only is he considered one of the top five players in the league now, considered to be the unofficial MVP of the past decade, but is a major consideration in the G.O.A.T. debate with Michael Jordan.
LeBron is one of the most dominant players to ever play the game, both physically and quantitatively, so having him, alone, would make the Heat a dominant team.
The Heat’s franchise player, Dwyane Wade, was one of the best second options a team could ask for. His combination of speed and ability to attack the basket were invaluable.
He was a gifted player on both ends of the floor. On top of contributing individually, Wade was also a great teammate.
He was arguably the best teammate James ever paired with across his career. James’ passing perfectly complemented Wade’s ability to attack the basket and score inside.
Conversely, Wade also complemented LeBron’s ability to do the same thing. The Miami Heat have been and always will be Wade County, but “3” understood that there was some sacrifice to be made in order to make the Big 3 work.
It was Wade’s sacrifices, both financially and from a scoring standpoint, that allowed LeBron James to become immersed in greatness and eventually lead the Heat to two titles.
Chris Bosh was underrated as the third star on the Heat. As a third option, he’s one of the best you could get too.
He was a good scorer who could stretch the floor. He was also a great rebounder and defender.
Bosh was the unsung hero of Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals. It was Bosh who grabbed James’ miss in the final seconds of regulation.
It was Bosh who made the kick-out pass to Ray Allen. It was Bosh who secured the victory with the clutch block on Danny Green in overtime.
Without Bosh, the Miami Heat would have lost that series. The talent of these three stars isn’t the only thing that made them so special; as they were also good friends whose chemistry translated to the court.
There is a reason the Big 3 Era was so iconic and is still talked about. The star power on this team was nearly unstoppable.