Dec 30, 2011; Minneapolis, MN, USA: Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James will never forget his 2011 NBA Finals run with the Miami Heat, but not for a good reason.
As many will remember, that is the first year of the famed Heat Big 3 featuring LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. But while they made it all the way to the Finals, they ended up losing to the heavy underdogs Dallas Mavericks led by Dirk Nowitzki.
LeBron James Opens Up About Miami Heat’s Failed Title Run
For what it’s worth, James averaged 17.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists in the six games against the Mavericks during the 2011 Finals. He shot 47.8 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from 3-point range.
“I played like s**t. I told myself the way I played, unacceptable,” James said during the podcast.
When Redick asked if it was a low point in his career, James even went beyond that. He said, “Oh for sure. The lowest.”
It’s hard to blame James for feeling that way, though. After all, until today, he’s still being criticized for his performance. Not to mention that there were high expectations for them to dominate the competition considering how star-studded their lineup was.
As a result, the Mavericks put themselves in basketball immortality by upsetting the Heat and winning the franchise’s first ever title.
LeBron James More Motivated After Low Point
Nonetheless, that loss against the Dallas Mavericks really made LeBron James hungrier. With that said, he was more focused the following season.
James told Redick that he was “locked the f**k in from start to finish” in the said campaign. As every Miami Heat fan would know, the team–still featuring their Big 3–went on to dominate the lockout-shortened campaign and finished with a 46-20 record.
But sure enough, that 2011 loss to the Mavericks has left a sour taste on his mouth that is just too hard to remove.
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Angelo Guinhawa is a veteran sports writer and editor who has been working in the industry for over 10 years now. He has worked for FOX Sports PH and several other reputable sports publications. His specialty is the NBA and the NFL, though he also covers the MLB, NHL and European top-flight football.