It's the end of an era for the Miami Heat with LeBron James leaving. The Heat still remain intact after signing Chris Bosh, but who knows if they will ever contend for titles again.
James is now a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he wouldn't have been the man he has become today if it weren't for those four years in Miami. They made James more mature, a better player and more respected among the NBA.
James won two more MVPs, two rings, was in four Finals appearances and won two Finals MVPs in those four years in South Beach. Now he's heading back home.
Heat fans will always remember James for what he did, and they should thank him for delivering them two more championships and spoiling us with tremendous play. We'll never forget the epic fast breaks James and Dwyane Wade used to have together. What a duo.
Let's take a look back at James' marvelous four-year stint with the Heat. Here are the top 10 moments.
Flip the pages to see the top 10 moments...
10. Forming the Big Three
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHSLw8DLm20&w=620
The Big Three was formed on July 8, 2010 during James' infamous decision to leave the Cavs and join the Heat with Wade and Chris Bosh. The Heat then had a parade for the formation, which led to James dropping the infamous line "Not four, not five, not six..."
9. LeBron Makes Regular Season Debut With Heat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCWhl_B8gUE&w=620
James made his regular season debut with the Heat, where Miami opened up the 2010-11 season against the Boston Celtics. The Heat showed some struggles with chemistry, but James had 31 points nonetheless. Unfortunately for Miami, they lost in a 88-80 defeat to the C's.
8. LeBron Drops 61 Points for Heat Franchise Record
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD-67jlsY9I&w=620
After Carmelo Anthony dropped 62 points, James decided to take up the challenge and go for a big scoring night of his own. Donning the mask, James dropped 61 points on the Charlotte Bobcats, the same team Melo had 62 on. It would be a Heat franchise record.
7. 27-Game Winning Streak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg7DD-LAAHA&w=620
The Heat made a historic run in the 2012-13 season when they went on a 27-game winnings streak. It ended at the hands of the Chicago Bulls, but it was still legendary regardless. I think this is where the Heat's Big Three reached its peak together, and from here they went on a slow decline downhill.
Flip the page to see more moments...
6. Losing to Mavericks in 2011 Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6cnOX4q1WA&w=620
The Heat came into this game as favorites to many. Could LeBron finally deliver and win his first ring? NOPE. The Mavericks took control and won in six games. Dirk Nowitzki was unstoppable and led his Mavs to the upset win. This ended up being a blessing in disguise, though, as LeBron came into next season as a different animal.
5. Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8WOmDo_CfU&w=620
It looked as if the Heat were going to lose again in the Finals, making LeBron's record 1-3 in the Finals. However, James turned up the gears in the fourth quarter of Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs, where it ended up being infamous "No Headband" game. Of course, luck came in eventually with Ray Allen's three as the Heat won in overtime.
4. Beating the Spurs in the 2013 Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCaaOlV6YX8&w=620
Miami ended up finishing things off in Game 7. LeBron had 37 points and 12 rebounds, along with a huge jumper in the final seconds to ice the game. James would end up winning his second ring as the Heat won its third championship in franchise history. Unfortunately, it would end up being the last of the LeBron era.
Flip the page for the top 3 moments of LeBrons' career with the Heat...
3. Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-VzBeOrdAg&w=620
The entire season was on the line for LeBron, and maybe even for this Heat Big Three era. The Heat couldn't possibly lose to the Celtics after falling to the Mavericks in the Finals the year before.
Down 3-2 and going on the road to Boston, James shut down the critics with an epic 45-point performance. It was one of the rare teams you could see a "killer" face on LeBron. What an epic game from him against the C's.
2. Losing to the Spurs in the 2014 Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRzHmRawK7I&w=620
The Heat were absolutely awful in the 2014 Finals. They were finally exposed. After cruising threw the LEASTern Conference in the playoffs, they weren't able to get past these Spurs. They were annihilated. They had no energy. LeBron was the only player on the Heat who actually delivered, but it wasn't enough as they lost in five games.
Had the Heat won this, you probably would think LeBron would end up staying. This is why it's a top-two moment, because this is a series (and maybe the whole 2013-14 season for that matter) that probably determined why James left for a young Cavs team.
1. Winning the 2012 NBA Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGvgkwOcuIY&w=620
It was a special moment for LeBron James. He delivered big time in the 2012 NBA Finals, dropping a triple-double in Game 5 to help lead the Heat to its first title in the Big Three era and James' first of his career.
I'd say this is the top moment because James finally reached his goal of winning a ring. And he can thank the Heat for helping him achieve this. It was a special moment for Heat fans and LeBron fans.
It was the most defining moment of LeBron's stint in Miami.
