Retired NBA Star Paul Pierce Believes LeBron James-Led Miami Heat Underachieved

Anthony Pasciolla | Mar 30, 2024

May 7, 2011; Boston, MA, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) holds the ball away from / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat's Big Three era with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh was some of the most beloved years for fans, but according to former Boston Celtics All-Star Paul Pierce, that team underachieved.

Pierce, known for his criticism of the Heat post-retirement, was defeated by them twice in the postseason during James' four years in Miami. The Hall of Fame forward recently appeared on the 'All Facts No Brakes with Keyshawn Johnson' podcast, where he reiterated his opinion on the Big Three Heat.

"They was tough, I ain't gone lie when you look at it. They had LeBron, who arguably is the G.O.A.T, you got D-Wade who is probably the third-best 2-guard ever, and Bosh was a perennial All-Star all in they prime. You know, I knew they was gonna be a problem, and that's why they won a couple championships and they had one of the longest winning streaks," Pierce said. "I think they should have won three or four [championships]. You forget what Bron say 'four, five, six', and they was relatively healthy... I think based on where you rank LeBron and you rank Wade and where you put Bosh in all-time history, they might have underachieved. I looked at that team that highly."

James and the Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in 2012 and 2013, but fell short to the Dallas Mavericks and Spurs in their second meeting before the team was dismantled. The reasoning behind their "underachieving" stems from a lack of time together rather than talent issues. If the Big Three remained grounded in Miami for another two seasons, another championship was on the cards.

However, fans were gifted one of the most impressive titles in league history in 2016, with James returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Anthony Pasciolla is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com