In 2010, LeBron James left Cleveland to team up with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in South Beach. With the Big 3, the Miami Heat became instant favorites to win the 2011 NBA title.
The Heatles were four wins away from fulfilling their destiny. Still, in the 2011 NBA Finals, they were ambushed by an underdog Dallas Mavericks team that did not have the same star power as the Heat had.
After the series, Hall of Famer and Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird talked about LeBron and the Heat. According to Larry Legend, Bron was a fantastic player and would have time to rule the NBA. But it wasn't going to be 2011.
"I think he's as good as anyone that's ever played this game," said Bird. "I think he's going to win a lot of titles. I think he's going to continue to get better. To me, he's an amazing athlete. He's never been hurt. He's got the body of a football player, and he's got skill. I just think he's off-the-charts good. And I think his time is going to come."
Team play always beats individual talent
On paper, it looked like David versus Goliath. Miami had the Big 3, while Dirk Nowitzki 's supporting cast included Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Tyson Chandler, and JJ Barea. The Mavs opened the season as a 20/1 longshot to win the 2011 NBA championship, but as Bird said, winning the chip isn't about talent alone.
"I think team basketball always beats individuals if you stay together," added Bird. "You're never going to have the perfect games. But when it comes down to the end of the games, ball movement always beats individuals going one-on-one. I thought Dallas played as well as they possibly could have played. And they were led by Dirk. When they couldn't score, he scored for them."
Nowitzki was spectacular in the series. He averaged 26 points and 9.7 rebounds per game while winning Finals MVP honors. Dirk scored a total of 156 points in the series, and 72 of them came in the fourth quarter. The German star also shot a total of 46 free throws and missed only one.
Related: "The way we let that one go really hurts" - Larry Bird admitted Celtics' morale took a big hit after dropping a clutch game in the 1987 finals
LeBron's disappearing act
While Dirk was clutch for the Mavs, the Ohio native had a disappearing act for the Heat. King James entered the Finals averaging a dominant 25.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game with shooting splits of .447/.489/.863 during the Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls. But as he admitted, he wasn't even there for his team in the championship series.
"My first year in Miami, I was down there and I was like, I was literally like, I wanted to prove everybody wrong. And I, like, literally lost myself in the moment. I lost myself. And I got all the way to the championship that year and lost. And the reason, I knew….afterwards, I was like, 'We lost because I wasn't even there,'" James said .
LeBron was up just 18.5 PPG in the Finals while shooting a mere 30.4% from three and 69.4% from the foul line. He had a measly 8 points in a crucial Game 4 loss. James foolishly promised not one, two, or three NBA titles for the Heat. But he ended up winning only two in four years there. As Bird said, it's not always about individual talent. Basketball is a team sport, and the best team always wins.
Related: Paul Pierce agrees that LeBron could've been a good Olympic sprinter
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