DISGUST for Kobe Bryant’s actions prompted Dwyane Wade to push LeBron James to join Heat and form superteam
Dwyane Wade explained how Kobe Bryant's fifth championship ring served as motivation for him to persuade LeBron James to become part of the Miami Heat.
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D. Wade and LeBron (L- Bleacher Report), Kobe Bryant (R- ESPN)
The Miami Heatles were probably the most talented trio ever assembled in the league. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh took over the league and made it to four straight finals in their four seasons together, winning two rings and making records while also changing how the game was played. There were many answers to why LeBron chose to leave Cleveland to join Miami but D-Wade recently revealed why he wanted LeBron to come to Miami.
In a recent episode of the SKWEEK Show, featuring the 2023 Hall of Fame Class, D-Wade shared a memory about Kobe Bryant winning his fifth ring in 2010. He recalled how this achievement prompted him to call LeBron James and inquire about his plans to join the Miami Heat. Wade said, “LeBron, so what you gonna do? Kobe winning all these rings, now he got 5..”
Shortly after Kobe won his fifth and final championship, LeBron made his decision to take his talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat, forming the infamous Big Three with Wade and Bosh.
While they didn’t immediately make a championship run, losing in the 2011 Finals, they went on to win back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013 and ended their time together after they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, after which LeBron went back to Cleveland.
Dwayne Wade recalls LeBron James almost wanting Erik Spoelstra fired in their first season together
Many franchises wouldn’t have been what they were if they didn’t have the coaching behind them. Players can’t solely make their teams successful. They need the support of the coaching staff. If Erik Spoelstra wasn’t Miami’s head coach during their 2010-2014 run, they might not have made it to four straight finals in his four years together with the Big Three. They were one of the most successful teams in the history of the league, winning two championships and making it to four straight finals.
But it wasn’t the same all along. At the start of the 2010-11 season, Miami had a rough start to the season, having a record of 9-8 not being able to find the rhythm to start their campaign.
LeBron James was dissatisfied with the coaching of second-year head coach Erik Spoelstra and expressed a desire for legendary head coach Pat Riley to take over the team. Dwyane Wade remembered advising LeBron against this move, suggesting that while they needed an experienced coach to win a championship, Riley might not be the right fit.
Despite a rocky start, they finished the season with a 54-28 record and ultimately reached the NBA Finals under Spoelstra.
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Ritvik Malhotra
(1085 Articles Published)