LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were one of the most feared trio in the league during their days playing together at the Miami Heat. They went to four straight Finals and won two NBA titles. They were the team to beat during a span of four years. According to the current Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach, one particular training camp was instrumental in instilling that winning mentality in the whole team.
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While that team gave fans numerous great offensive moments, their defense was their jewel on the crown. During their first summer together, the whole team went for a training camp at an Air Force Base in Florida. It was their first training camp as a team full of new faces.
David Fizdale, who most recently served as an assistant coach under Frank Vogel for the Los Angeles Lakers, recalled how it was the best training camp he has ever been a part of. While speaking with Brian Windhorst in an interview, he revealed that their only focus was on defense.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade went at each other like enemies
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have been great friends for a long time now. That was a big reason for them joining forces along with their fellow 2003 draft member, Chris Bosh. While LeBron and Wade gave us one of the most iconic duos of all time, it wasn’t without going at each other in practice.
Talking about that training camp, Fizdale said, “Dwyane and LeBron tried to kill each other. Every day was a war, and all we worked on was our defense… Our offense was so far behind the rest of the game.”?
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He also mentioned that even though they didn’t win in their first year together, “that training camp was a big part of us winning titles later. It was the best training camp I’ve ever been a part of.”?It was the beginning of an era dominated by the Miami Heat. They went on to win two consecutive championships.
The era came to an end after Miami lost convincingly to the San Antonio Spurs. After that, LeBron went back to Cleveland while Wade and Bosh could arguably never replicate their old selves.
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WATCH THIS STORY: How old was LeBron James in his first NBA Finals?
The Miami Heat’s ‘Big 3’ era was a joy to watch and they all came together perfectly. What do you make about Fizdale’s comments? Let us know in the comments.