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Reading: Dwyane Wade Finally Explains Why Miami Heat Failed In 2011: “Trying To Play The Villain Just Took The Joy Out Of The Game…”
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Home > NBA News & Analysis > Dwyane Wade Finally Explains Why Miami Heat Failed In 2011: “Trying To Play The Villain Just Took The Joy Out Of The Game…”

Dwyane Wade Finally Explains Why Miami Heat Failed In 2011: “Trying To Play The Villain Just Took The Joy Out Of The Game…”

Nico Martinez
Feb 5, 2021
3 Min Read
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Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James created one of the best and most notorious “superteams” of that decade, and they would go on to win two straight titles before eventually splitting up in 2014.

While their successes can’t be argued in hindsight, it doesn’t mean things were always easy for them. In 2011, when they lost in a shocking upset to the Dallas Mavericks, their flaws were exposed in an enormous way.

But, according to Dwyane Wade, who made an appearance on the “No Chill” podcast, the biggest problem for the Heat that year was actually their battle against their identity as villains. It apparently took all the fun out of the game.

“It took the fun out of basketball,” Wade responded. “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.

The hate kind of drive us in the wrong…We didn’t place it right. If we were to place the hate in the right spot, we could have still had joy playing,” he explained. “But we took everything that people were saying about us…We took it personal. And once we got the time of winning time, we couldn’t perform.”

James became the most hated player in the NBA that summer, not only leaving his home-town team, but for joining with two other superstars to significantly increase his odds of winning.

To many, it felt like the easy way out, and it was something that followed both Bron and the Heat throughout their run together.

But after suffering that brutal loss in 2011, the pressure was lightened and the team was able to find their joy again.

Today, that Miami squad is still known as one of the best to ever get assembled, and they achieved a level of greatness very rarely matched in sports history.

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TAGGED:LeBron JamesMiami Heat Archive
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ByNico Martinez
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Nico Martinez is a veteran staff writer for Fadeaway World from Brooklyn, New York. He joined Fadeaway World in 2016 and is currently residing in Columbia, South Carolina. Nico holds a degree in Sports Management from Columbia International University where he built a strong foundation in the inner workings of sports media and management. Nico's contributions have significantly enhanced the credibility and depth of Fadeaway World's content, earning him recognition across the sports journalism community. His work has been discussed in prestigious publications like Sports Illustrated. A dedicated follower of LeBron James, Nico often leads coverage on news related to the basketball star. With nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, Nico consistently provides comprehensive and timely basketball news, engaging a wide audience of basketball enthusiasts.Nico's most desired player to interview, past or present, is Kevin Durant. He is particularly keen on asking Durant if he has any regrets about his career, especially concerning his departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and why he engages so much with fans on social media. 
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