This type of criticism hasn't gained much traction yet, but if 2012 somehow wound up as the Heat's only title of the Big Three era, you can be sure history would look upon that championship less fondly than we do right now. This second title would make the NBA, officially, Miami's world, in part because it would be achieved against a Spurs team that reached pseudo-dynasty status in 2007.Īs a nice (less important) bonus, a win would secure Miami's first title in a non-lockout year, removing any discussion of an "asterisk" on its 2012 title, which came in a 66-game season. For most everyone else, though, back-to-back titles will be sufficient validation for the "team up" game plan, given the constant scrutiny they have faced. There will be some who are never satisfied with what Miami accomplishes, usually because of philosophical disagreements over how and why the Big Three formed. Could Miami join the 1990s Bulls and early-2000s Lakers as the only teams to three-peat in the last 40-plus years? Why not? Would you bet against it? The Heat, who are able to bring back their entire rotation in 2013-14, will almost certainly enter next year as title favorites, like they did this year. Sure, those achievements aren't quite to the level of the eight titles predicted in 2010, but a win would put James and Miami in rarefied air, with the possibility for more. Should the Heat win Thursday, they would become the only team besides the Lakers to repeat as champions during the post-Jordan era, and James would surely join Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant as the only players to win Finals MVP two years in a row. Through three seasons in Miami, James is now one win away from hitting two titles.
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