LeBron James developed a lot in his career during his Miami Heat stint where he shared the dressing room with some of the greats of the game. Apart from getting his hands on the maiden NBA champion he also got to share the dressing room with Dwayne Wade and also developed into his own as a true leader of men.
With the winning culture at Miami, many people believe the stint effected James’s career and made him the star that he is today. He has carried that culture to the Cleveland Cavaliers and now the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, James in one of his recent conversations shockingly said that even without his stint at the South beach, he would have been the same player that he is today. He firmly believes that he would be as good a player as he is with or without the experiences that he had at the Miami Heat.
However, NBA Analyst Stephen A Smith was not happy with the statement as he sees the aspect differently. Speaking on First Take, Smith blasted James for not acknowledging his time at Miami as he believed that it shaped his career.
“What the hell is wrong with you, LeBron? What the hell is wrong with you? Let me tell y’all something. … But make no mistake about it, do y’all understand the greatness of a hall of famer by the name of Dwayne Wade?
“He (LeBron) was a great player. He was a great leader. … he got to Miami and learned what it took to be a champion,” Smith opined.
Earlier James in an interaction with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin shared how his hard work and passion for the sport made him the player that he is. He feels that even without the experiences that he had with the Heat, he would be the same player. But he acknowledged the amount of learning that he had with the team.
“My career was going to be my career as far as individually because I know how much I put into the game and I know how much I strived to be as great as I can be. [But] as far as what I was able to learn here was second to none,” James highlighted.
The controversial move to the Miami Heat will remain as one of the most crucial junctures in his career where he fulfilled his primary goal of winning the NBA Championship. In his four-year stay in Miami, he won the title two times and gathered immense knowledge and learning to develop into a leader.
