Unrealistic expectations fell upon the shoulders of the Miami Heat’s “Big 3” in July 2010 when LeBron James infamously predicted a record-setting number of incoming NBA championships for the league’s first super team.
“Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven … when I say this, I really believe it,” James said 14 years ago on a stage in Miami, flanked by fellow stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Dwyane Wade still regrets James’ declaration and the pressure it put on the franchise, but it’s all in good fun.
“It’s just jokes,” Wade said this week on Pardon My Take. “One person who said, ‘not three, not four’ … he was tripping. First of all, it was one of the things that’s supposed to be internal. That’s one of those moments that’s not supposed to go out to everybody. What you say in the house is supposed to stay in the house. If you go back, run the clip, I put my head down, like woo-wee. I had won a championship before and I knew how hard it was.
“Yes, we thought we were going to be a problem. Yeah, we thought we were about to run the table, but we also knew the league was very, very good and it was not that damn easy.James’ prediction came after The Decision, a live made-for-TV event on July 8, 2010, which featured one of the greatest player of all-time signing with the Heat over interests from various other franchises.
The Heat generally dominated the East during the trio’s tenure in Miami and captured consecutive titles in 2012 and 2013. Miami president Pat Riley is credited with being one of the people who convinced James to “team up” with Wade and Bosh with the Heat.
Following James’ departure from Cleveland, fans torched his jersey and bid not-so-courteous farewells to the former No. 1 overall pick and Akron, Ohio native. Those emotions changed after James opted out of his contract in Miami during the summer of 2014 and signed with the Cavaliers before leading one of the most memorable comebacks in the NBA Finals a couple years later against the Golden State Warriors.
The James-Wade tenure in Miami will be remembered for its above-the-rim theatrics and must-see play on a nightly basis. There was always a quality supporting cast, including future Hall of Famer Ray Allen, but the “Big 3” were the reason the Heat became a nationally-televised staple as one of the NBA’s most-watched teams of all-time
