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Will LeBron James ever face the Miami Heat again?

Originally posted on Miami Heat on SI
By Ethan J. Skolnick | Last updated Nov 1, 2025 8:30 PM ET

March 19.

That's what the schedule says, regarding when Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James may face one of his two former teams, and the one with which he won the most championships, the Miami Heat.

But who knows by then? Will James be healthy, as he isn't now, missing Sunday's matchup with visiting Miami due to sciatica? Will he even be a Laker by then, since there are some rumors that he isn't thrilled with the franchise's commitment to him or to winning another title? And, going forward, will this be his last season in the NBA, even if he hasn't announced or even indicated that as of yet?

Anything is possible.

The man may be a machine, but he is nearly 41 years old. And he hasn't played so far this season. Nor does he need to continue, for anything but legacy reasons. He has four championships, and has made nearly $600 million from salary alone, to say nothing of everything he's garnered off the court.

the highest career earners in nba history:

1. kevin durant
2. lebron james
3. stephen curry pic.twitter.com/5Lpu15Tzs8
— buckets (@buckets) October 19, 2025

Some will say he was never better than when with Miami, as he entered the front end of his prime after The Decision of 2010. While his struggle in the 2011 Finals led to a loss to Dallas, he won the MVP his next two seasons -- his last two -- while propelling a 27-game winning streak and finishing 2012 and 2013 as a champion. He won as many titles in those four seasons, before fleeing for Cleveland, as he has in his 18 others. He was 1 for 11 with the Cavaliers, and was 1 for 7 with the Lakers entering this season.

That only triumph with the Lakers came in 2020 in the Orlando "Bubble" against.... the Heat.

Still, at times, he hasn't been at his best against the Heat.... in the games he's played. Many he's missed. He's often exited Miami with a loss, praising Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and others.

(Increasingly since James left the Heat, he has used the lexicon of Spoelstra and Heat president Pat Riley in his press availabilities, including Riley's famous "Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing" mantra. And clearly the Heat feel more fondly for him than they do for their most recent top star, Jimmy Butler.)

Overall, he's played 49 games against the Heat in the regular season, averaging 27.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.0 assists, right around his ridiculous career averages. It's always been a show, and would always be so, whenever he is on the floor against an organization he respects, even if he didn't leave on the best terms. It's a shame he won't be out there Sunday, and the hope is that when March 19 comes around, he's good enough to go.

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This article first appeared on Miami Heat on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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