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DENVER – FEBRUARY 20: (L-R) LeBron James #23 and Shaquille O’Neal #32 of the Eastern Conference All-Stars smile on the bench in the final moments of the East’s win over the Western Conference All-Stars the 54th All-Star Game, part of 2005 NBA All-Star Weekend at Pepsi Center on February 20, 2005 in Denver, Colorado. The East won 125-115. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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DENVER – FEBRUARY 20: (L-R) LeBron James #23 and Shaquille O’Neal #32 of the Eastern Conference All-Stars smile on the bench in the final moments of the East’s win over the Western Conference All-Stars the 54th All-Star Game, part of 2005 NBA All-Star Weekend at Pepsi Center on February 20, 2005 in Denver, Colorado. The East won 125-115. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
LeBron James is no stranger to hate from all around. He has faced some of the harshest criticisms from both fans and analysts alike across his career. For instance, when he joined the Miami Heat from the Cleveland Cavaliers, a lot of hate came towards him.
Moreover, he is accused of starting the trend of joining the so-called ‘Super Teams.’ However, he is not the only star accused of doing it. Then Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant joined the Golden State Warriors in a move that shocked the world.
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Interestingly enough, he is likely to leave the Brooklyn Nets after asking for a trade recently. This has once again triggered lots of debates regarding his actions.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal recently gave his thoughts regarding KD’s actions. Talking on The Big Podcast with Shaq, he bashed Durant for his mentality while also blaming LeBron for starting the trend of super teams.
Shaq said, “Why? That was my first reaction. Why? Okay. I mean, you listen to everybody else talking, he’s a runner, and he does this, and he does that. I don’t know where his mindset is at but I like to compete.”
He further added, “That’s the loophole that’s accepted that but you know, and I say, you know, LeBron started making the super team and all that.”Although it has been more than a decade, LeBron still faces the heat for switching teams.
Why did LeBron James join the Miami Heat?
LeBron was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2003 NBA draft. He was practically the only superstar on the team, and he led his team to the finals on multiple occasions. Although he was being compared to Michael Jordan, a championship was absent from LeBron James’ resume.
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February 18, 2014: Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade #3, Miami Heat small forward LeBron James #6 and Miami Heat center Chris Bosh #1 observe the National Anthem before an NBA game between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX Miami defeated Dallas 117-106 (Photo by Albert Pena/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
He decided to make the infamous switch to the Miami Heat in 2010 after entering free agency. This wasn’t taken well by the fans, and he faced hostile crowds everywhere.
However, he clapped back at his haters on the basketball court. LeBron won 2 NBA championships with the Heat and established himself as one of the greats.
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WATCH THIS STORY: Michael Jordan vs LeBron James: How Many 40 Point Games Do The GOATs Have?
What is your favorite memory of LeBron James playing for the Miami Heat? Let us know in the comments down below.
