MIAMI — Even those critics who hated “The Decision” might understand why LeBron James made it.
Or maybe they don’t, because so few of them bothered to watch the 2007 NBA finals.
James was a one-man team swatted away by three great players, his Cleveland Cavaliers held to the worst offensive performance in finals history and swept aside by the San Antonio Spurs.
The series drew the worst TV ratings ever and ended with James admitting his team was simply overmatched, that nothing could have been done to change the outcome.
That led him to Miami for a partnership with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and the promise of multiple championships. Less than a year after coming together, they have a shot at their first when they face Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in a series that starts Tuesday (today in Manila).
“I know what this league is all about, about having multiple guys on the court that can dominate a game,” James said yesterday.
“With teaming up with these guys, I feel like we can compete for a lot of years to come. We’ve proven a lot of people wrong so far. We have a lot of work to do still.”
And this time, people will be watching James — even if only in hope of seeing the Heat humbled after their theatrics of last summer.
Five years after Wade largely overwhelmed the Mavericks by himself to win the Heat’s first championship, the teams arrive at Game 1 of the rematch through decidedly different constructions.
The Heat essentially sacrificed seasons for salary-cap space, making the playoffs through Wade’s greatness but with no realistic chance of winning. The gamble paid off in July, when James and Bosh agreed to come and Wade committed to stay, giving Miami the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 players on perhaps the greatest free-agency list in NBA history.
Nowitzki’s name was on it, too, and he even said he would have listened if James and Wade had tried to recruit him. His preference was to remain in Dallas, as long as owner Mark Cuban would do what it takes to give the big German another shot at a ring.
“Ultimately, that’s where my heart was at. I almost felt like we had unfinished business after ’06,” Nowitzki said.
With reliable role players such as Jason Kidd, Terry and Shawn Marion but no defined second scorer, the Mavericks arrived in the postseason as an afterthought, maybe even a first-round upset loser to Portland.
Instead, a stunning sweep of the Lakers in the second round was followed by Nowitzki’s spectacular play against Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals, making the Mavs the last hope for the Heat haters.
“We are facing a very tough team, a very good team with a bunch of closers and leaders. And so we’ve got to just go from there and bring our best game,” Nowitzki said. /ap