LeBron James: The Highs & Lows Of His First Season In Miami

One year ago on this day, LeBron James told the world he was taking his talents to South Beach. A lot has transpired in the 12 months since that fateful day, on and off the court. He’s been compared to everyone from Michael Jordan to Benedict Arnold. He’s been called clutch and he’s been called a choker. He’s made cool commercials and he’s dunked on children. We’re here to recount some of the ups and downs from LBJ’s first year in Miami.

Highs:
Nike’s LeBron Rise Commercial: October 2010
In response to all the criticism following The Decision, Nike released the LeBron Rise commercial in October which asked fans one simple question: what should I do? While the commercial did not suddenly change the world’s opinion of Lebron, nobody could deny that it was a pretty sweet ad.

LeBron Flushes Alley Oop from Dwyane Wade: Novermber 2010
This is why teams didn’t want to let the Heat get out in transition:

Return to Cleveland: December 2010
The anticipation leading up to Lebron’s return to Cleveland was palpable. And the King did not disappoint. James finished with five boards, eight assists, and 38 points—then a season high—to lead the Heat to victory.

LeBron drops 51 on Orlando: February 2011
The Miami Heat rolled into Orlando riding a three-game winning streak. James made sure the streak continued. In 43 minutes, LeBron exploded for a season-high 51 points on a remarkable 17-of-25 shooting performance. Miami rode James’s performance 104-100, eventually extending its winning streak to eight games.

2011 Eastern Conference Finals vs. Chicago Bulls: May 2011
For a few short days during the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron shed the label of a choker. In five games against the Bulls, LeBron averaged 25.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. More than that, he stepped up when it mattered most. He connected on fourth-quarter jumpers and played solid defense down the stretch to send D-Rose and the Bulls packing. When it was all said and done, LeBron had put on enough of a show that the LBJ-MJ debate was as lively as ever.

Lows:
The Big Three Welcoming Party: July 2010
The Decision was bad enough, but the Miami Heat’s welcoming party at AmericanAirlines Arena was way over the top. With lights flashing, music blasting and fans cheering, the Big Three made their Miami debut. NBA fans around the league immediately united against the Heat.

Bump with Spoelstra: November 2010
Early In the third quarter of Miami’s 106-95 loss to Dallas on Nov. 27, James made news by getting a little too close to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on his bench. Was it just accident or was LeBron pissed because Miami had lost three of its last four games?

Beef with Lil Wayne: January 2011
After being released from prison, Lil Wayne didn’t have nice things to say about LeBron in an interview with Rolling Stone. Wayne told the magazine that LeBron and Dwyane Wade had snubbed him when he sat courtside at a Heat/Hornets game. Mr. Carter was certainly not pleased and you don’t want to be on his bad side.

Five-Game Losing Streak: March 2011
March got off to a rough start for LeBron and the rest of the Miami Heat. After closing out February with a loss to the Knicks, the Heat dropped four more contests to open March. During the skid, LeBron averaged 27.8 points per game, but it wasn’t enough.

2011 NBA Finals vs. Dallas Mavericks: June 2011
I don’t know if an individual player has ever been scrutinized as heavily as LeBron during this series. Every shot, every pass and ever defensive switch was dissected. LeBron couldn’t win. Even when he posted a triple-double in Game 5, fans wanted more. They wanted exceptional; they wanted MJ. But far from living up to expectations, LeBron appeared to shy away from the spotlight in pressure situations, scoring just 18 fourth-quarter points in the series.

Mocking Dirk: June 2011
Most fans didn’t think it was very funny when LeBron and Wade appeared to mock Dirk on camera before Game 5. But Dirk, who scored 21 points in the Mavs’ Game 4 victory despite playing with a fever, got the last laugh.

Game 6 Post-Game Comments: June 2011
After the on-court fiasco during the NBA Finals, it didn’t seem like LeBron could sink much lower. But he found a way. Just moments after Dirk and co. raised the Larry O’Brien trophy, James made comments that would give any publicist a heart attack.

Knockout Game: July 2011
I have some advice for all the readers out there. If you’re ever one of the most hated people in the world, avoid hurting small children at all costs, especially when it’s being video taped…

What do you think? What were the biggest highs and lows from this year for LeBron and the Heat?

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