Inside The Heat

Stephen A. Smith Says LeBron James' Best Team Was 2013 Miami Heat

The Miami Heat won 66 games during the 2012-13 season, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals
Shandel Richardson|
Stephen A. Smith Says LeBron James' Best Team Was 2013 Miami Heat
Stephen A. Smith Says LeBron James' Best Team Was 2013 Miami Heat

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Miami HeatSan Antonio SpursLos Angeles LakersCleveland Cavaliers

 LeBron James has played on several stacked teams throughout his 20-year career. 

There were his four teams with the Miami Heat that won two titles from 2010-14. There was the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers rallying to defeat the 73-9 Golden State Warriors. And the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers that knocked off the Heat during the bubble. 

But there is one that stood out to ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith. On a recent episode of First Take, Smith said the 2013 Heat was James' best team. 

"They had a crew," Smith said. "I'm gonna have to go with that. That's what stands out in my mind. I think LeBron was absolutely fantastic." 

As a refresher, that Heat team featured James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh that won the championship the previous year. They added Hall of Famer Ray Allen during free agency, joining a group that already included Shane Battier, Rashard Lewis and Mike Miller. 

The Heat won a franchise-record 66 wins on the way to the top seed in the postseason. After a tough seven-game series against the Indiana Pacers, they defeated the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs in the Finals in seven games. Trailing 3-2, the Heat won an epic Game 6 with the help of a desperation 3-pointer from Allen that forced overtime. 

James then took control in Game 7, finishing with 37 points on the way his second straight Finals MVP award. 

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Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat.

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here

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