Eleven Years Ago, LeBron James Won His First Title With The Miami Heat
LeBron James’ first championship came on this day 11 years ago when the Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 Finals.
It was the second title in franchise history. It was the first of four rings for James, with this one coming in arguably the best years of his career.
He was scrutinized by the media for leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers and forming a “super team” with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. The criticism only grew after James’ lackluster performance in the 2011 NBA Finals in a loss against the Dallas Mavericks, where he was notoriously outscored by veteran guard Jason Terry.
He responded with a MVP caliber series the following year, averaging 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists.
This victory was followed by another championship, leaving some to believe a possible dynasty was forming in Miami.
Sadly, a Finals loss in 2014 ended the Big Three and closed the Heat’s championship window. Hopefully, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro can form their own superstar tandem and bring another trophy back to South Florida.
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Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
