LeBron James Claims Miami Heat's "Big Three" Could Have Broken Up In 2012

For the early part of the 2010s, the Miami Heat were the juggernaut of the entire NBA, let alone just the Eastern Conference. With the "Big Three" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the sky was the limit for that unit. During that four-season stretch with the three superstars, the team went to the NBA Finals every year and won two NBA championships. James took home the Most Valuable Player award twice (2012, 2013) while also being named to the All-NBA First Team throughout all four seasons. Wade was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2011 along with the All-NBA Third Team both in 2012 and 2013. Bosh was named an All-Star each season alongside James and Wade. However, despite the dominance from that unit, there were fears the team would be broken up.

Recently, a clip has resurfaced on X, showing James' former live stream on Instagram during the COVID pandemic in 2020. On the stream, James talks about how he was scared that Pat Riley would break up the "Big Three" if they fell to the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals.

The Heat would obviously end up beating the stacked Celtics roster in seven games, before they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games in the NBA Finals. The "Big Three" stuck together for another two seasons in Miami before it started going a bit downhill. James left Miami to rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he would lead them to four straight Eastern Conference titles along with a historic championship against the Golden State Warriors.

Wade stayed in Miami until the 2016 offseason, where he signed with his hometown Chicago Bulls on a two-year contract. There were reportedly disputes between Wade and Riley towards the end of his Miami tenure. His play quickly regressed in Chicago and he joined James in Cleveland for half-a-season on a contract buyout before being dealt back to Miami in 2018. The Heat towards the end of the 2010s were in somewhat of a rebuilding state after drafting Bam Adebayo and being led by veteran guard Goran Dragic. Wade was an integral part of helping Miami get back to the playoffs that season before setting a farewell tour with Miami for the 2018-19 season, retiring as a member of the team he won multiple titles with.

Bosh signed a contract extension with Miami in 2014 but struggled with injuries towards the end of his career along with his continued blood clotting issues. Hassan Whiteside became a strong center for Miami and the team drafted Adebayo in 2017 after waiving Bosh with an injury designation. Bosh officially retired in 2019 and had his Heat jersey number retired that same year.

When looking in hindsight, it appears crazy there were rumors of a team this good breaking up but with how much money each player was making, it seemed possible. However, it seems Riley made the right decision sticking with this group.

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