Miami Heat: James, Wade and Bosh Will Be Pioneers of the New NBA Era

South Beach Trendsetters

By: Derek Crouse

   The athlete in the modern era has a strong sense of entitlement due to the fact that people put them on such a high pedestal because of their athletic skill. With the ego and entitlement comes the idea that they have the final say in all matters on their team.

   During the Beijing Olympics, Coach Krzyzewski collected a group of players and developed a roster emphasizing teamwork. He also wanted them to leave all of their prior conceptions behind on how a team was constituted, which lead them to victory. The U.S. basketball program has been known since the original Dream Team to not have that cohesiveness and lack a true meaning of the words collaboration and solidarity.

   The talent during the times between 1992 and 2004 was leaps and bounds past the other countries individually, but the actual team concept wasn’t coming into fruition.

   The players in Beijing became cultured to how to work together to reach a common goal. This is where the ball started rolling and made players like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosch contemplated the idea of incorporating the ideas they took from the Olympics and use them in the NBA. The debate started whether a team of superstars could leave their egos at the door and work jointly to assemble a dynasty for years to come.

   While the Miami Heat has been taking so much criticism for putting a team of stars in their prime together, they might have started a new trend in the NBA. If a storeowner ran a business, wouldn’t he want to have the best possible employees in his workforce and at a cheaper price? Common sense would tell you that it is a no brainer to have the preeminent talent on your team.

   Recently, players like Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony are having the same thoughts on their opportunities on the court. Chris Paul, who is regarded as one of the best point guards in league, wants to be surrounded by more talent. Unlike James or Bosch, he is still under contract, but steadily asked to be traded or for his team to find better quality players. Carmelo Anthony is constantly rumored to want to get out of Denver and land with some team in the Eastern Conference. He also has one year left on his deal. These guys catch a glimpse of what is happening in Miami and they want to follow the same road to success.

   Will players now look past the hefty paychecks and use the influence of Coach K’s mentoring the idea of “team” and try to make powerhouse franchises? Bosch and James both turned down more lucrative contracts and took flack from the media and fans to join forces with Dwayne Wade in South Beach. Wade could of also left Miami for more money, but it seems their priorities are to win titles. With championships, money will come through endorsements, marketing and television contracts, and magazine covers splattered all over the country if the experiment turns out to be successful.

   If the league shifts to these types of teams, the league could be affected in many ways. First off, the top teams will have at least 3 superstars, which could make the parity of the NBA very dreary. All leagues imitate what the winners are doing and if Miami is successful, we will witness players talking off the record wondering if they could join forces to compete against or become a team like Miami. This would equal the same type of competition that baseball has.

   The NBA will have around five to ten teams that will always be on top during an era and then the bottom teams will be real bad. The Miami Heat will be the Yankees of the NBA. Until franchises like the Raptors and Bucks get a group of superstars, they will be the equivalent of the Pirates of the NBA. The losing franchises will have superstars who will most likely leave for greener pastures and try to make a highly competitive team elsewhere. The lower teams will develop talent, only for them to leave to a team with greater talent from top to bottom.

   With rumors of the Bulls wanting Carmelo, Chicago would look to be one of the powerhouse teams as well. With Derek Rose facilitating to Carlos Boozer and Anthony, the Eastern Conference will look to overtake the West as the dominant conference. The Lakers are getting older and Kevin Durant could look to move from Oklahoma to find a better fit with better talent elsewhere. NBA Free Agents are going to take more time to think about whom they are going to play with and not just the big contract.

   Years ago, the Lakers tried the same recipe to victory. They had Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton. It would appear that this team should of won the title and steamrolled everybody. All the individual talent wasn’t enough when they faced a team in the Detroit Pistons who valued teamwork and defense and left their individuality at the door. The Lakers had 3 of the top fifty players ever and still couldn’t get the title.

   The players on the Heat should be commended to take less money and collaborate to win championships. Countless fans are always saying that the players just want the big payoff which is true for some but not everybody. They’ve put a bulls-eye on themselves and are strong enough to complete the task at hand. If the Miami Heat win the title this year or in the next few years, the trend in the NBA will be to get many superstars on one team as possible under the salary cap. Remember these three guys were starters on the Olympic team so the chemistry between them has already begun even before camp started.

   Fans will see in the coming years if the blueprint in Miami is the new model to win in the NBA. If their team had the talent, they would love the idea, but when the other team has the talent they are the enemy. LeBron could become the pioneer of the new NBA era