In the summer of 2010, LeBron James told the world that we would be taking his talents to South Beach to play for the Miami Heat. That moment, now known across NBA history as “The Decision”, changed the Miami Heat’s fortune forever.
In the four years following, the trio of James, Wade, and Bosh would make four straight NBA Finals appearances and earn two NBA titles.
The team also won 27 games in a row in 2013, setting the record for the second-longest winning streak in an NBA season.
Led by the Big 3, this Miami Heat squad was one of the greatest teams ever assembled in NBA history.
However, the game of basketball has evolved since the time they ruled the league. Would they still be able to dominate if they played in today’s league?
The answer is yes and resoundingly so. Here are the key reasons why.
3 Reasons Why The Miami Heat’s Big 3 Would Still Dominate Today
One major change since the Big 3 Era is the amount of three-pointers teams typically take in an NBA game.
Three-Point Shooting
During the four years the Big 3 played together, no team attempted more than 30 three-pointers per game. Now, teams average anywhere between 28 and 43 three-point attempts per game.
This trend is on pace to continue this season.
Last year, a record was set for the most three-pointers made by any team in a single game (29). The top 25 teams with the most three-pointers made in a game have all come from the past five seasons.
This change in three-pointers attempted and made is mainly attributed to Stephen Curry, who revolutionized the game with his efficient marksmanship from anywhere on the court, even 40 or more feet away from the basket.
Now, teams put extra emphasis on strategizing how to get shooters open to give them an extra point for each basket. This means that if the Big 3 Miami Heat would have any chance of competing today, they would have to have some three-point shooting.
On top of that, those shooters would have to shoot more. In fact, they had the first part taken care of, as they did have shooting.
Over the four years, Miami had a plethora of shooting options, such as Shane Battier, Mike Miller, and Rashard Lewis.
This era also saw LeBron James in his most efficient shooting season. During his MVP season in 2013, LeBron shot 40% from beyond the three-point arc.
The team also had Ray Allen from 2012 to 2014, who was the greatest three-point shooter of his time. Although it is true that he was not playing at his peak with the Heat, he still had his shot, sinking over 200 threes over the two seasons.
He also made the most important shot in the franchise’s history in the 2013 NBA Finals.
Even though three-point shooting is more prominent in the modern era, it does not have to be the focal point of the offense. The past two champions, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks, did most of their damage inside.
Of course, the teams still had good shooters, but it was often better for those teams to attack the basket rather than settle for a three. The Heat would behave this way, focusing the offense around inside scoring through James and Wade, then kicking out to role-playing shooters when necessary.
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.
Miami Heat: The Big’s Defense Was Still Next Level And Even In This Era
While the Miami Heat made headlines and highlight reels with their offense, their defense was also terrific.
Defense
The defense was led by their superstars, but some of their role players played a crucial part in making their defense a problem for their opponents.
In 2013, LeBron was the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. He arguably should have won it.
His defense was absolutely incredible that year, in particular.
LeBron was playing at the peak of his career in terms of his athletic abilities. He had the speed, size, and strength to effectively guard all five positions while averaging 27 points and seven assists on the other end of the floor.
He put pressure on teams in all types of ways. He could lock them up on the perimeter, challenge their shots with his size, or send their shots back with his incredible leaping ability.
Dwyane Wade is considered to be one of the greatest shot-blocking guards of all time. Over the four years with James and Bosh at his side, Wade averaged nearly one block each game.
Not bad for a 6’4” shooting guard.
He also played excellent perimeter defense along with James and role players like Shane Battier. Chris Bosh took on the role as the rim protector in the starting five.
Miami played Bosh at the center position, so they were a smaller team in comparison to some of the others at the time. Bosh and Chris Anderson swatted away several shots at the rim.
It was also common for Bosh to have a key defensive play late in games that would ultimately lead to victory, like the Game 6 block, as previously mentioned.
Since the Heat played a small ball lineup, one of the first to deploy it as they did in all honesty, this would allow them to have the speed to battle through high screens or switch if necessary.
This would also allow them to continue to lock up teams from the perimeter, even in an era where the three-pointer is so prominent in a team’s offensive scheme.
The Big 3 Miami Heat was one of the teams that defined the 2010s decade. Their star power and dominance on both ends of the floor made them one of the most dominant teams ever assembled in the NBA.
Because of this talent, they would dominate in any era.