The Miami Heat ‘Superteam’ completely upended the hierarchy of the league in the 2010s. The superstar trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh completely changed the equation of the game, prompting widespread backlash in NBA circles against such concentration of power. D-Wade sat down with Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett in early 2019 to talk about his final season in the NBA. During the interview on NBA on TNT, Wade revealed how the Celtics’ ‘Big 4’ necessitated the creation of the infamous Miami Heat ‘Superteam’.
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After a prolonged hiatus, the Boston Celtics became a powerhouse in the NBA once again in the 2000s as they assembled the famous ‘Big 4’ roster. The teaming up of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and Ray Allen really became a problem for teams looking to contend for the NBA Championship. The Celtics soon monopolized the Eastern Conference, even winning the 2008 NBA Championship against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dwyane Wade reveals how the Celtics’ Big Four led to the Miami Heat Big Three
During his sit-down with Kevin Garnett on TNT three years ago, Wade painted a detailed picture of the situation in Miami at the time. He confessed that he was considering a trade to Chicago following the Heat’s first-round exit against the Celtics in the 2010 playoffs. However, the 2006 NBA Finals MVP soon learned from his agent that LeBron James is interested in a move to South Beach. Chris Bosh came into the picture as well after that.
The entire structure was put together to counter the mighty Celtics, Wade revealed. “First of all, y’all[the Celtics’ Big 4] was the sole reasons that we got together. We can’t compete with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Rondo. We got to get that toughness, we got to get that togetherness. We don’t get that, we don’t beat them,” the three-time NBA Champion told Garnett.
The plan seemed to work well for Dwyane Wade and the Heat. The Florida side beat Boston in the 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinals 4-1. The following year, the Heat edged out the Celtics in a thrilling seven-game series in the Conference Finals, which saw LeBron James come out of his shell and establish his dominance on the game’s biggest stage. King James would win his first NBA Championship that very year, ending all speculations around his Championship pedigree.
Wade helped LeBron realize his true potential
During the interview, Garnett brought up the fact that Wade instilled the killer instinct in LeBron for the first time. The King’s NBA stocks were at an all time low after the 2011 NBA Finals when the criticism around his Championship pedigree reached an all-time high. James was devastated after the Heat’s loss against an underdog Dallas Mavericks side.
However, Wade gave James the green signal to unleash his true potential. LeBron would subsequently lead the Heat to the 2012 NBA Championship.
