During Lebron James’ second year with the “Big Three” in Miami was one of his best seasons as a NBA player and as a teammate. King James was definitely focused on capturing his first NBA Championship in his career. James worked hard off season after losing to the Mavericks in his debut season with the Miami Heat after the controversial move from Cleveland. James had critics from all over the world criticizing his decision and the fact that he still was a NBA Superstar without a Championship Ring. James went on to prove the critics wrong showing that hard work pays off no matter what is said about him as a player or person by capturing 2 rings the next two seasons along with back to back NBA MVP Awards.
Humbled by the Heat’s loss to the Mavericks, James spent the offseason attempting to improve himself as a basketball player and a person,[127] and worked with Hakeem Olajuwon on his post game.[128] His work with Olajuwon paid off, fueling what writer Kirk Goldsberry called “one of the greatest and most important transformations in recent sports history”.[129] Behind James’ more post-oriented play,[129] Miami matched their best start to a season in franchise history,[130] and at the conclusion of the lockout-shortened 2011–12 campaign, James was named MVP for the third time, finishing with averages of 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game on 53 percent shooting.[131]
The Heat entered the 2012 Playoffs with the second seed in the East.[132] They defeated the Knicks in five games in the first round before falling behind 2–1 to the Indiana Pacers in the second round.[132] In Game 4, James turned in one of the best all-around performances of his career, registering 40 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists in a winning effort on the road.[133] Miami eventually won the series in six games.[132] In the Conference Finals, the Heat again faced the Celtics, winning the first two games before dropping the next three.[132] Facing elimination, James led Miami to victory by scoring 45 points in Game 6, making 19 of 26 shot attempts for a 73 percent shooting rate.[134][135] The Heat won Game 7 to advance to the Finals versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.[132] Despite holding a 13-point first half lead in Game 1, Miami lost the first game of the series but rebounded to win the next two games and go up 2–1.[136][137][138] Game 4 proved to be a memorable one for James. With five minutes left in the game, he started experiencing leg cramps and was carried off the floor. He returned soon after and hit a three-pointer with 2:51 left to give the Heat a three point lead they did not relinquish.[139] In Game 5, James registered his only triple-double of the season as Miami defeated Oklahoma City for their second ever championship and James’ first championship.[140] James was unanimously voted the Finals MVP with averages of 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game.[141] His final playoff averages were 30.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game.[142]
In February of the 2012–13 season, James had a “month for the ages”,[143] setting multiple shooting efficiency records and becoming the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in March 1983 to take more than 200 shots in a calendar month and make at least 64 percent of them.[144][145] During this period, the Heat began a 27-game winning streak, the second longest in NBA history.[146] Behind his play, Miami finished the year with a franchise and league best 66-16 record,[147] and James was named MVP for the fourth time, falling just one vote shy of becoming the first player in NBA history to win the award unanimously.[148] His final season averages were 26.8 points, 8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on 56.5 percent shooting.[46]
To start the 2013 Playoffs, the Heat defeated the Milwaukee Bucks and Bulls en route to a Conference Finals match-up versus the Pacers.[149] In Game 1 against Indiana, James scored a buzzer-beating layup in overtime to give Miami a one point victory.[150] Throughout the series, James’ supporting cast struggled significantly, and his added scoring load prompted him to compare his responsibilities to those of his “Cleveland days”.[151] Despite these struggles, the Heat won the series in seven games, advancing to the Finals for a meeting with the Spurs,[149] signifying a rematch for James from his first Finals six years earlier.[152] At the beginning of the series, James was criticized for his lack of aggressiveness and poor shot selection as Miami fell behind 2-3.[79][149][153] In Game 6, James recorded his second triple-double of the series including 16 fourth quarter points to lead the Heat to a comeback victory.[154] In Game 7, Miami defeated San Antonio for their second consecutive championship.[149] James notched 37 points in the deciding game, tying the record for most points scored in an NBA Finals Game 7 victory.[155] He was named Finals MVP for the second straight season, averaging 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game for the series and 25.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game for the playoffs.[46][156]
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