Gilbert Arenas Slams The Narrative About Miami Heat Culture
LeBron James recently made some waves by stating he'd have been the same player today had he not joined the Miami Heat in 2010. Gilbert Arena certainly agrees with him and the 41-year-old also debunked some of the narratives about "Heat Culture" by stating they only won championships because they acquired some iconic players.
"Because they traded for a generational player by the name of Shaquille O'Neal," Arenas said when asked about the championship the Heat won in 2006. "Brung in Gary Payton, bring in all these other players to build with Dwyane Wade so they can win a championship. That's what the 'Heat Culture' is? Because all their championships (were) bought."
Arenas says the Heat built nothing and just relied on talent to get them over the line. He added how the other two championships were won because they had acquired the likes of LeBron, Chris Bosh, and Ray Allen. Arenas then pointed to how the Heat struggled before James got there.
"Before LeBron got there, first-round loss, 15-67, first-round loss, first-round loss, first-round loss," Arenas said. "Then LeBron and the crew came and then they went to the championship, and then they won the championship, and then they won the championship, and then they went to the championship."
After the Heat won the championship in 2006 with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal leading the way, they failed to even win a playoff series in the next four seasons. They went 15-67 in 2007-08 and were knocked out in the first round in the three other campaigns.
Then in four seasons with LeBron, they made it to the NBA Finals every time and won two titles in 2012 and 2013. Once James, who averaged 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game in his time in Miami, left, though, the Heat once again started to struggle. For Arenas, it was proof that the significance of the culture is blown out of proportion and he thinks James himself is the culture.
"LeBron left. Wade and the Heat Culture, and [Chris] Bosh is still there. No playoffs," Arenas stated. "... Did he take the Heat Culture with him when he left? Cause they didn't make the playoffs. 33-49, no playoffs... LeBron is the culture."
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Following LeBron's departure in 2014, the Heat actually went 37-45 in the 2014-15 campaign and missed the playoffs. Now, it is important to mention that Bosh didn't play after the All-Star break that season, due to a blood clot in his lung.
Maybe things could have turned out differently had he stayed healthy, but it was clear that the Heat were not even close to being contenders without James. They were just an average team and while Miami retooled and made the playoffs the year after, they weren't a contender.
Arenas thinks LeBron didn't need Miami, but Miami needed him. The fact of the matter is that you need talent at the end of the day to win in the NBA. What the Heat have shown, especially in recent years, is that they can maximize the talent at their disposal better than almost anyone else, which they deserve some respect for.
As for the exact comments that got these debates rolling, it was James telling ESPN, "I think I would still be at this level no matter if I would've came here or not." With the quote going viral on social media, he would actually double down on it.
LeBron called himself the "Chosen One" and stated he'd still have been dominant if he never joined the Heat. He did acknowledge, however, that he might not have won as many championships had he never gone to Miami.
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