Ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers’ matchup against the Miami Heat, Lakers superstar LeBron James reflected on his four years with the Heat.
LeBron signed with the Heat in the summer of 2010 to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The King won two MVPs, two championships and two Finals MVPs in Miami.
“I came here for one reason and one reason only, and that was to win championships,” LeBron said. “That was my only goal. That was the only reason I teamed up with Wade and Bosh because I felt like I couldn’t do it in Cleveland. We couldn’t. … I tried to recruit guys to come to Cleveland. I tried to go and help the upstairs and it wasn’t happening. So I had an opportunity to be a free agent so I did what I thought was best, not only for my career but for me at that point in time.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: LeBron James, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
LeBron averaged 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.7 blocks with the Heat. Miami won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013.
“It was a culture change for me,” LeBron said. “People talk about ‘Heat Culture’ — it was a culture change, period. I was changing everything about my life for the first time in my life. To be able to be here and be able to learn and be alongside D-Wade, UD [Udonis Haslem] and Spo [Erik Spoelstra] — those guys who had won it already — it definitely was great to be a part of, for sure.”
The Heat will likely retire LeBron’s No. 6 jersey one day. LeBron is the only player in NBA history to win Finals MVP with three different franchises.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: LeBron James, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
“Obviously, it starts from the top, but at the end of the day it’s the guys that are in the locker room holding guys accountable,” LeBron said. “You can have the messaging come from the top, but if guys are not abiding by it or doubling down on it in the locker room and then applying it on the floor and applying it off the court and being model citizens, or whatever the case may be, then it still doesn’t matter.”
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
Interested in reading the latest storylines and analysis in the NFL? Check out our partner NFL Analysis Network.
