By LeBron James and the Miami Heat endured a disappointing series in the 2011 NBA Finals.
The superstar enjoyed his first season with the team, and although playing a significant role in the Miami Heat’s trip to the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, he wasn’t at his best during the six-game series.
Recently, Dwyane Wade reflected on James’ difficulties during the series and seemed to feel some sorrow about how he handled the issue.
“Obviously, LeBron struggled, we talk about — he averaged 17 points a game. Players struggle. And what sucked about it is because of everything that was talked about and all this, but at the end of the day, me as a leader, Spo (Erik Spoelstra) as a head coach, we gotta do a better job to make sure that he’s not struggling. How we getting him the ball in certain places to make it easier for him? Because you know as a player, all you need is one thing to go your way to turn everything around. We didn’t do enough of that for a guy who was struggling for whatever the reason is. We all have had our struggles, and so, as a leader, I looked at it myself. I was like, ‘You didn’t do enough, D.’ And you will see a clip where I’m cursing Bron out. I’m in his ear. I’m talking to him. But that probably wasn’t the way I should have done it. Maybe I should have done something else.”
Wade seems to be referring to an exchange that took place during Game 3 of the series.
James finally finished the 2011 NBA Finals shooting 47.8 per cent from the field and 32.1 per cent from beyond the arc for averages of 17.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game.
His most challenging game in the series was Game 4. James was only able to score eight points as the Heat looked to establish a dominating lead with the game up 2-1. Despite his nine rebounds and seven assists, he had a dismal performance overall.
To win their first (and only) championship in club history, the Mavericks won the series in six games.
For Miami’s benefit, several beautiful years came before the heartache of 2011. In 2012 and 2013, the Heat were able to win the NBA championship with the help of James, Wade, and Co.
James was able to atone for his lacklustre performance in the Finals of 2011 by being named Finals MVP in 2012 and 2013. In the end, he accomplished a lot while working for the Heat, and he still keeps in touch with Wade.
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