'Should’ve won 3-4 championships,' Paul Pierce claims LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh underachieved

Paul Pierce based his opinion on the 2-2 record the Big 3 put up in the NBA Finals. Pierce felt the star power Miami should have won 4 titles instead of two. In the past, LeBron James claimed the Heat would win more than four titles when he joined the team in 2010. However, James left in 2014. This made Pierce ponder on what would have happened if James stayed for more than four years.

If Ray Allen missed the legendary game-tying three-pointer in game 6 of Spurs vs. Heat, they would have had one championship win in four final appearances. Despite dominating the Eastern Conference, the Heat ‘Big Three’ struggled at times against the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks. Hence, Paul Pierce’s argument has merits.

Paul Pierce and the Celtics never made the NBA finals once LeBron James joined the Heat

The Boston Celtics reigned as the dominant force in the Eastern Conference. Once Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett joined in 2007, Pierce got the required help to contend for the title. That same season, the trio made their first final appearance and won the chip. Furthermore, they made the finals once more in 2010 and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Still, they had a window of opportunity, but the Miami Heat ruined any chances of another final appearance.

LeBron James and Chris Bosh decided to team up with close friend Dwyane Wade in Miami, which led to the formation of a super team. In fact, the ‘Big Three’ of Miami were younger and more explosive than the ‘Big Three’ of Boston. In the 2010 and 2011 seasons, the Heat defeated the Celtics and prevented Allen, Garnett, and Pierce from making another final appearance for Boston.

The ‘Big Three’ of the Celtics dominated the league from 2007-10. However, it was nothing compared to the dominance of the Heat during the James – Wade era. Hence, the argument that James, Wade, and Bosh underachieved remains a legitimate one. Moreover, how many more titles would the Heat have won if James stayed remains the biggest ‘what if’ in recent memory.