When LeBron James joined the Miami Heat in 2010, the NBA community was taken by storm. The “Big Three” of James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were poised for years of domination. James promised multiple championships, and while he did win titles, it still fell short of his lofty claims, something he was reminded of years later.
“Not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6,” said James at the time, predicting seven NBA championship wins for the Heat. But sometimes, big promises don’t come true.
James and Co. did reach four straight Finals, but won only two of them. It was a great achievement, yes, but still three short of what James had promised. Earlier today, Heat owner Micky Arison couldn’t resist taking a shot at The King for the same.
Arison brought up the famous James quote during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where he himself was being inducted. He reflected on his accomplishments as Heat owner, the success he helped bring, and also James’ shortcomings.
“Then in 2010 with Dwyane, LeBron, and Chris Bosh, we knew we could win. ‘Not 1, not 2’… I guess it was just 2,” Arison said, much to the audience’s amusement. It might have seemed like a bitter jab, but even LeBron was smiling. After all, how often does an opportunity to do a bit like that present itself?
It really cannot be overstated how big “The Decision” was for the NBA. James choosing to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to form a superteam with Wade and Bosh changed the league forever. It changed a lot of people’s perception of the league, and it gave the players more power than they’d ever had before. But it also had the entire basketball fanbase assuming that the Big Three were going to just dogwalk everybody.
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The party, sadly, ended after just four years. James moved back to Cleveland in 2014, bringing an end to the first “dynasty” of sorts of the 21st century. It didn’t last long, but it certainly made huge ripples.
Funnily enough, Arison was “100% certain” that the Big Three would all remain in Miami when speaking with CBS Sports in 2014. That wasn’t necessarily a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either.
There was also a report by Brian Windhorst in 2014 claiming that LeBron was butting heads with Arison at the time over issues with getting an extension. Whether that was blown out of proportion or 100% true depends on who you ask. But remember, LeBron was gone the next season.
Regardless of their beef, the business of basketball always trumps everything. Arison understood that getting LBJ was a business decision, and losing him was one as well. James probably understands the business of ball better than anyone. That’s why it was nice to see him laugh at Arison’s joke, no matter how deep the cut might have been.
