In an appearance on First Take this Wednesday, NBA insider Brian Windhorst gave his brutally honest review of the 2011 NBA Finals. Speaking candidly on the series, Windy argued that LeBron (the first overall pick in 2003) was being carried against the Mavericks by his main teammate and co-star, Dwyane Wade.
“The 2011 Finals is forgotten in history,” said Windhorst on First Take. “Dwyane Wade’s performance in that Finals… it is a crime. LeBron didn’t take advantage,” said Windhorst. “Nobody has carried LeBron in a Finals like Wade carried him in 2011.”
.@stephenasmith says LeBron's best running mate was Dwyane Wade 👀
"If it weren't for Dwyane Wade, I could make a legitimate argument there would have never been a Kyrie [Irving]. LeBron didn't know how to win until he got to Dwyane Wade." pic.twitter.com/Bfz7zQNl9w
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 5, 2024
The “big three” Heat were formed in the summer of 2010 when 4x MVP LeBron James (now 39 years old) made his iconic decision to join forces with Dwyane Wade and former Raptors big man Chris Bosh. At the time, the Heat were heavily favored over the field and their combined star power was enough to give them the edge against most opponents.
When the Heat reached the Finals later that season, however, things took a turn for the worst. The King averaged just 17.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on 47.8 percent shooting in that series, which the Mavericks won in 6 games. To this day, that performance is widely considered to be the greatest blemish of LeBron’s otherwise extraordinary career.
Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade (a 3x NBA champion) was going off against the Mavericks. He averaged 26.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in the series including 32 points in Game 4 which the Heat lost by 3.
Without the steady play of Wade, the Heat might have been swept in the series, as LeBron was a virtual no-show from the jump. To make matters worse, he was trash-talking the other side and feeding them motivation with self-confidence that he was unable to back up.
LeBron would go on to redeem his performance in that stretch by winning the next two championships but not everyone has forgotten just how bad he was in that moment. Dwyane Wade almost certainly remembers given that the poor play of his superstar teammate probably cost him a chance at winning his second title at the time (fourth in total).
Stephen A. Smith Says Dwyane Wade Was LeBron James’ Best Teammate Ever
LeBron, a 20x All-Star, and his Heat teammates broke up when he re-joined the Cavaliers in 2014. Since then, he’s had varying degrees of success with other stars, from Kyrie Irving to Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis.
But between Wade, Irving, and Davis, I can agree with both analysts that Wade is probably the best of all of James’ teammates. His heroics in the playoffs saved the Heat on multiple occasions and the case can be made that he’s the one who first taught LeBron what it takes to win it all.
“If it weren’t for Dwyane Wade, I could make a legitimate argument there would have never been a Kyrie [Irving]. LeBron didn’t know how to win until he got to Dwyane Wade.”
LeBron James was a different player at the time and his immaturity and inexperience held him back from achieving his maximum potential. Wade helped not only humble James but also empower him to lead without fear and that’s exactly what he did for his remaining three years with the Heat.
None of it could have been possible without any member of the “big three” but Wade is the guy who kept everything together and he deserves credit for his leadership role during the early years of their partnership. No doubt, LeBron himself is very appreciative of Wade given how much success they achieved together.
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