- LeBron James is off the hook for the overly ambitious promise he made over 10 years ago
- Dwyane Wade brings clarity to LeBron’s infamous statement
- Heat Big Three never believed they could win seven championships together
“Not one, not two, not three…” became the legendary starting words of what would be LeBron James‘ most infamous quote. At the time, just weeks after joining forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Heat, LeBron had set the world on fire with his decision and he was embracing life as a member of the NBA’s newest dynasty. After being introduced alongside his new teammates for the first time, James delivered an iconic line that revealed how high his expectations were for the new-look Heat.
“Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven,” James said to a crowd of roaring fans. “Hey, and when I say that I really believe it!”
Of course, looking back, we can all acknowledge how silly the whole thing was and that seven championships was never the realistic goal for King James. While fans today still regularly use this footage as evidence against LeBron, his former teammate and co-star Dwyane Wade says it was never meant to be taken seriously.
“Yeah, I didn’t take it seriously,” said the Heat legend on ‘Club Shay Shay’. “Did anyone out there take it seriously? Like, come on, guys. We were having a parade! We in there with our fans, we are in there just talking. We’re jacking, we’re in the crib doing what we do with our homies. He [LeBron] just added a little sauce but then it became ‘let’s hold him to it.’ That’s all, we never said we were gonna win seven straight… but we knew we was gonna be a problem.”
. @DwyaneWade on @KingJames Saying "Not 1, Not 2, Not 3…" Championships in Miami
“Yeah, I didn't take it seriously. Did anyone out there take it serious? Like, come on, guys. We were having a parade… pic.twitter.com/DPgXyRa7GZ
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) September 22, 2023
To LeBron’s credit, he won two championships in four straight trips to the Finals during his run with the Heat. And while it’s a far cry from the seven he “promised” to the fans, it’s better than most could have done in the same situation.
Today, James is still going strong, and he’s really got nothing left to prove as a 4x champion, 4x MVP, and 19x All-Star. Even so, when you look back on his career, it will be impossible not to notice his transformation in Miami and the lessons he learned early on during his first years in South Beach.
LeBron Became A Villain In Miami
When James initially left the Cavaliers in 2010, he was still in their good graces and wasn’t really seen as a controversial figure. But when he moved to the Heat, fans turned on him in unprecedented ways, and LeBron decided to double down on the villain persona. That season, LeBron and the Heat were more hated than ever, and while they secretly tried to play through the noise it was a grind that Wade later admitted took all the joy out of the game.
“It took the fun out of basketball,” Wade said. “Trying to play the villain just took the joy out of the game. Even though we were good and all that kind of stuff, we didn’t have fun in that first year. We were like, ‘Alright, we’re going to show them’. That’s not the way you go through an entire year.”
So, after losing to the Mavericks in the Finals that year, LeBron and the Heat changed their approach and they returned the next season ready to make things right. By the summer of 2014, LeBron was ready to end his chapter with the Heat and return to the Cavs as a 2x champion — but many still claim that it was in Miami where he learned how to win.
Will LeBron Ever Fulfill His Promise To The Heat?
LeBron isn’t typically one to under-deliver, but when he left Miami many fans were disappointed that he didn’t stick around to build a dynasty like he promised. While winning seven titles was obviously unattainable, one could argue that he left something on the table by only winning two Finals during his run with the Heat. When he arrived years earlier, everyone thought that James would set up an empire with the Heat, but even Wade admitted that he was surprised and angry when LeBron walked away just four years later.
Entering the 2023-24 season, and LeBron isn’t on track to return to the Heat anytime soon. But a reunion might still be in play down the road if the circumstances are right. If, somehow, he’s able to make good on his seven-ring promise from years ago, it will only further validate his claim as the GOAT.
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