Photo Credit: AP Photo/Morry Gash

David Fizdale Reveals What Dwyane Wade Told LeBron James After Losing 2011 Finals, Which Turned Things Around For Heat

On July 8, 2010, ESPN had its infamous live-broadcast of LeBron James’ decision, where he eventually announced that he would sign with the Miami Heat.

In South Beach, LeBron James teamed up with local hero Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to form a superteam. Until LeBron’s departure to Cleveland in 2014, the Heat reached four consecutive NBA Finals. After losing the first one in 2011 to the Dallas Mavericks, the Heat came back even stronger the next years and won back-to-back titles against the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012, and the San Antonio Spurs in 2013.

A big reason for the Heat’s success following the loss to Dirk Nowitzki and his Mavs, was Dwyane Wade giving the keys to the team to LeBron James.

One of the Heat’s assistant coaches at that time, David Fizdale, now revealed what Wade told to James before the start of the 2011-12 season, during an appearance on Knuckleheads with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles:

“It started in the year that we lost. Before when we went to the end and played against Dallas and lost. That had a lot to do with us winning the next two.

D-Wade came to me before practice one day and was like ‘listen, I’m gonna tell this dude [LeBron James], that it’s his team, because he obviously doesn’t see that it is his. And so I think he needs to hear it from me, cause he’s giving me too much respect’. He’s like ‘this dude is the best player in the world, he’s got to, this is his now.’

So I said ‘hey, lay it on him, I think it’ll help him.’ And sure enough, Bron comes in the gym, we’re shooting free throws, it’s just us three in the gym. D-Wade kind looks at me, and LeBron shoots and he holds the ball, and he goes ‘man, this is yours!’

Bron kinda looked at him like he didn’t know what he was talking about at first, so he was like ‘Bron, this is your team! I’m here to help you now.'”