Fresh from their embarrassing 2011 NBA Finals loss against the Dallas Mavericks, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James took a little breather to clear their minds and forget the painful season finish. The Miami Heat superstars took their flight for an offseason trip to the Bahamas, where they brought their respective families to chill and unwind.
While it was all fun and games for both D-Wade and LBJ as they were about to party in a club, they eventually encountered Dallas' Jason Terry . At that point, Wade admitted that he was hesitant to merely interact with the Mavs star, whom they failed to outlast just a few months ago for the NBA title.
"Jason Terry is at the back of the line, and we walked in like, 'D-Wade, Bron! C'mon, C'mon!' So we go right in the VIP, and Jason Terry might take another 20 minutes to get in that club. And Jason Terry came in and he walked right up to me and 'Bron, and put his hand up [to shake hands]," Wade recalled .
"At that moment I don't want to shake man's hand at all, 'coz he beats us in the Finals."
Pay respect to the champ
After seeing Terry's sportsmanlike gesture, Wade may have undoubtedly seen some flashbacks of how The Jet buried him and the Heat in going for the 2011 championship. The Mavericks ' sixth man was a thorn in their side after playing phenomenal to help Dallas win its maiden title by averaging 18.0 points in 49.4 percent shooting to go with 3.2 assists. Jet was so great that he was the series' third-best player, hitting big shots after big shots and even outplaying LeBron.
But behind this frustrating memory, Dwyane immediately realized that they had to acknowledge JT for beating them in the championship stage and for providing them with that needed lesson, which they carried over to dominante the league for the next couple of years.
"Damn. JT got some over us right now. We may get in to the club quicker than anybody, but this man walked up to us with so much swagger, so much confidence like 'Yo, you [probably] got in 30 minutes before me, but you all have to pay respect to the champ.' And we have to give the man his respect because of what they've accomplished and how they beat us was special," Wade said.
"But what they did was that they humbled us. They got us ready for what was to come and what is coming for the next three years and going back to the Finals three years in a row."
Related: Phil Jackson once shared why he wasn't happy when Michael Jordan scored 69 points on the Cavs: "It's not my favorite thing to do”
Heat went on to build a dynasty
Following that humbling meeting, D-Wade, LBJ, and the Heat played with their chips on their shoulders as they ran it back for a season of redemption. Despite the pressure, Miami emerged and finally won it all by clinching the 2012 championship.
The following year, they enjoyed their most dominant year, winning 66 games to secure their second straight title. For four seasons, the 'Big 3' era seized greater heights and success that has been indelibly etched in the league's record books.
In hindsight, Wade and the Heat took the most out of that 2011 Finals collapse against Terry and the Mavericks as it served as a stepping stone for them in building their basketball dynasty.
Related: “Was extremely selfless” - Rich Paul showers appreciation on Dwyane Wade for allowing LeBron James to boss the Miami Heat
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