8 Years After Dominating LeBron James Using His Own Tactics, Warriors Legend Gives the Lakers Star His Flowers for Revolutionizing ‘Small Ball’

LeBron James and the Miami Heat changed the modern game with their dominant run during the early 2010s. Despite receiving initial backlash for his move to South Beach from the Cleveland Cavaliers, King James had a very successful stint with the Heat. Recently, a former Miami star who has had multiple battles against LeBron revealed how the four-time NBA champion changed the game.

During a recent podcast appearance, Golden State Warriors legend Andre Iguodala talked about some intricate details about the James-led Miami Heat team.

Four-time NBA champion gives LeBron James due credit

Alongside Michael Jordan, LeBron James is widely regarded as one of the GOATs of basketball. Apart from his numerous accolades, James’ overall influence on the game is one of the reasons why people regard him in such high esteem.

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Andre Iguodala recently gave his thoughts on the Heat side featuring LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. He appeared on The Old Man & The Three podcast alongside Evan Turner. 

The Warriors veteran asserted that LeBron doesn’t play well with midrange shooters around him. For that reason, the coach had to make some changes when Heat took on the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki in 2011.

“It’s interesting you started seeing certain tweaks where Chris Bosh would be at the 5. It didn’t look small ’cause LeBron’s got the ball, and he’s a big human being with the rock a lot…but they tweaked it against San Antonio, and I think that’s when you started seeing smaller basketball. Nobody really talks about that”, said Iguodala according to heatnation.

Thanks to this revolutionary tactic, the Heat emerged as one of the most successful teams of the modern generation. With LeBron playing his new role, the Heat won two NBA titles in a row in 2012 and 2013.

Iguodala and the Warriors used LeBron’s tactics against himself

The 2015 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers marked the start of a new era. Stephen Curry and the Warriors beat the Cavs and won their first NBA title after four decades.

The Warriors used a very interesting tactic against the Cavs. Iguodala, who is 6-foot-6 inches tall, started over Andrew Bogut from Game 4 onwards. This was primarily done due to the aforementioned small ball strategy. Iguodala possessed defensive versatility and transitional play that transformed the warriors and supplemented the style which Bogut couldn’t due to his limited mobility.

Thanks to this bold tactic change, Steve Kerr’s men won the series 4-2 and changed basketball history forever. Iguodala was named the NBA Finals MVP for his brilliant performances.

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What are your thoughts on Andre Iguodala’s comments? Let us know in the comments below.