4. Shane Battier Teammate of the Year
Following the Heat’s first trial run with the newly formed James, Wade and Chris Bosh Big Three, it was clear they needed a couple more contributing pieces to the rotation. That’s when Shane Battier got involved, signing with Miami in the 2011 offseason. His addition to the depth chart brought a true 3-and-D presence and helped push the Heat to their 2012 championship.
Battier won back-to-back titles as a member of the Heat and secured a Teammate of the Year award after their second chip against the San Antonio Spurs. Real ones remember Battier’s 6 for 8 3-point shooting performance in the close-out Game 7 of those Finals, and it was clear that Miami needed every little bit of that production from one of the supporting cast members.
The leadership he brought both on and off the court turned out to be a missing piece to help supplement their top heavy roster.