“If They Would’ve Beaten Dallas..”: LeBron James’ ex-Teammate Issues Bold Statement on Joining “the Heatles”

Roughly after a decade of grinding in the league, LeBron James faced his first success in 2012. The Miami Heat, led by James and Dwyane Wade, won its second ring after six years. The team didn’t stop there, as they continued their domination into the next season, winning back-to-back championships.

Seven years after representing the Cleveland Cavaliers, James moved to the Heat ahead of the 2010-2011 season. The trade immediately worked as they went on to win the Eastern Conference Championship. However, it wasn’t enough to claim the NBA title. The team fell short against the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals. Following that year’s disappointment, the team roped in a veteran power forward into the side. Boom, the team won back-to-back. While James and Wade became the face of the two consecutive championship teams over the years, an ex-Heat star made a bold claim recently.

LeBron James’ ex-teammate makes bold claim

The ex-teammate is none other than Shane Battier. Before joining the Heatles, Battier was known for his contribution to the Houston Rockets. He was always considered a selfless team player, known best for going toe-to-toe to guard Kobe Bryant while ignoring his endless chatter.

At the same time, he never failed to drop crucial three-pointers in the fourth quarter to take the game away. Stacking all these different reputations on his resume, he got a trade offer to the Heat after their 2011 failure, during the last lap of his career.

Appearing on the recent episode of the Knuckleheads Podcast, he opened up about his trade to the Heat ahead of the 2011-12 season. He dropped a bold claim. He said, “When they first got together. I rolled my eyes like I’m sure everyone else did,” considering the possibility of winning the ring.

He further added, “This is full disclosure and if they would have beaten Dallas, there’s no way I would have gone there, no way.”

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He further went on to talk about his attitude of not chasing the ring and jumping teams. Despite his bold claim, he has also maintained a great relationship with James. Recently; he shared his views on James.

Battier hails James

A year after the back-to-back championship, Battier retired from the game. In the same year, James also ended his stint with the Heat and moved back to the Cavs. While describing James’ attitude in the league, he said, “I understood all the stuff he had to deal with from Day 1 and being on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16 and being No. 1 in the draft… There wasn’t a moment where he could hide behind a teammate, hide behind a coach,” reported US News. 

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What do you make of Battier’s bold claim about joining the Heat? Let us know in the comments.