OK, it was fun while it lasted. Actually, for many basketball fans, it wasn’t fun at all. Whether you loved them or hated them, the Miami Heat and its trio of stars ”“ LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh ”“ brought out both emotion and discussion in every NBA fan.
Year four of the Heat’s experiment of teaming up three of the biggest stars in the game ended on Sunday night, as Miami was downed in Game 5 of the NBA Finals by the San Antonio Spurs, thus ending the series and the season for both teams.
The Heat was dealt the same blow three years ago, when it lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games despite winning the first two. Miami was on the winning side in the NBA Finals the previous two years, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder and these same Spurs, respectively.
When this Heat nucleus formed in the summer of 2010, titles were expected. The Heat got to the finals every year, but have only won two.
Four years later, and the fate of the trio is up in the air again, as all three players have the option to opt-out of the final year of their respective contracts. If the five-game Finals loss taught us anything, it’s that this experiment ”“ and experience ”“ needs to end.
Wade probably won’t leave Miami, opt-out or not, because he has been with the Heat since he was drafted in 2003. Bosh, likewise, has taken a liking to the South Beach locale after spending the first seven years of his career in the Great White North, playing for the Toronto Raptors.
The third member of the trio, who at this point might be the only one in a solo act, should take his fame and fortune to a new area code.
James was the only dependable Heat player during the Finals, magnified by his absence at the end of Game 1, when he was forced to sit out the final minutes with cramps as his team blew a small lead in a runaway loss without him.
Wade and Bosh both no longer look like the superstars they were pre-2010, when they were the alpha dogs of their respective teams. Wade’s numerous injuries throughout the years, with some help from his all-out, sometimes reckless style, have taken a toll on his 32-year-old body. Bosh just looks like he got comfortable being the third option, rarely assertive for long stretches like a supposed superstar should be.
The trio staying together could still be successful, but not at their current salaries. The NBA salary cap is not built to hold three contracts of this magnitude. Yes, all three players took a small pay cut to make it work four years ago, but it’s still not enough. And the trio only has to look across the court at the team that just beat them in the Finals to see how three stars can make it work.
Basketball purists and Heat haters alike are praising the Spurs for how they win. Three stars in the sport ”“ maybe no longer of the “super” variety ”“ made less than they each probably could in different circumstances and bought into head coach Gregg Popovich’s team philosophy.
Tim Duncan ”“ a future Hall of Famer ”“ and Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili ”“ possible future Hall of Famers ”“ made a combined $33 million this season. The Heat trio? Almost $60 million. It’s obviously easier to fill out the rest of the roster with an extra $27 million lying around, but it also means you can get a better quality supporting cast.
The Heat don’t have a Danny Green or Boris Diaw to help carry some weight. And they don’t have the pieces to acquire the draft rights to a Kawhi Leonard, the 22-year-old NBA Finals MVP.
The Heat have three superstars and not much else. We can only wonder if James, still the best player in the league, will realize that, and find greener pastures.
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Today’s editorial was written by Sports Writer Wil Kramlich on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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