LeBron James’ first season with the Miami Heat ended in shocking disappointment. The then-back-to-back MVP struggled in the 2011 NBA Finals, an incredibly underwhelming performance that continues to haunt him to this day.
On the “Bob Does Sports” podcast on Thursday, James claimed that he wasn’t himself during the championship series. He said that he was only 25 and allowed the media to force him into embracing a “villain” role, calling it a new experience that affected his play.
Fans criticized LeBron James for blaming others for his own failures. One fan wrote:
“Yo, LeB**CH @kingjames, you lost bc JJ Barea destroyed you. Lol. Your candy a** got spanked by a nobody and you are desperately trying to call yourself the GOAT….pathetic.”
Another fan added:
“Typical victimhood. ‘I was 25.’ Bron was a 7-year veteran. SMH.”
One more fan continued:
“This dude has an excuse for everything. And they’re STUPID excuses.”
Another fan commented:
“He’s soft as s**t. … So a villain role made you forget how to hoop all of a sudden.”
One fan tweeted:
“He’s the king of excuses. … When he lost his 2nd finals with the Heat, he was villain again? Is villain same as choker?”
The Heat, on paper, were a bad matchup for the Mavericks. They had James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, three of the best and most athletic players who were arguably in their prime.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks were led by 37-year-old Jason Kidd and 32-year-old star Dirk Nowitzki. Shawn Marion was primarily tasked to guard James, but 5-9 guard JJ Barea and 6-2 guard JJ Terry also spent minutes shadowing the 6-9, 240-pound Heat superstar.
LeBron James averaged 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game in the regular season. In the 2011 NBA Finals, those numbers dropped to 17.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg and 6.8 apg.
In Game 4, when the Mavericks tied the series at two games apiece, James had eight points, nine rebounds and seven assists with four turnovers in nearly 46 minutes.
In the series-clinching Game 6, James contributed 21 points, six assists and four rebounds. However, Miami was outscored by 24 points, easily the most among starters, during James’ 40 minutes of action.
The Mavs pulled off a 4-2 series win, one of the biggest upsets in NBA Finals history and ended LeBron James’ season in stunning fashion.
Disappointing 2010-11 Season Ended What Might Have Been 5-Year MVP Run for LeBron James
LeBron James was the 2008-09 MVP and retained the award during the 2009-10 season when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers. In an announcement now infamously called “The Decision,” James took his talents to South Beach, where he promised to deliver seven championships.
The lofty vows started with a disappointment in James’ first season with the Miami Heat. He ranked third behind Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose in the MVP voting.
James would reclaim the honor in the next two years, but that first season in Miami ended his MVP run.
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