Exec on Miami Heat not named LeBron: “No one’s afraid of those clowns”

December 4, 2012; Washington, DC, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) talks with Heat center Chris Bosh (1) against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

We’re almost four years removed from the day that LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade changed the NBA landscape. During that time, the Big Three (in Miami) has made it to the NBA Finals every year (three times), and have won back-to-back Championships — one could argue that it could be three had LeBron James not disappeared in 2011 against the Dallas Mavericks.

Nevertheless, it’s safe to say that the Heat have lived up to the hype — which is rare when you think of all the backlash that came of it. Still, if feels as if the Heat have to win a Championship this season or it will be a failure — which is unfair in a way.

A lot has happened between that summer night in 2010, when LeBron lost and gained fans, to where we are now. Role players have come and gone and players have retired. Heat coach Eric Spoelstra has solidified his job and Pat Riley continues to grow into folklore. However, one thing that has never changed for the Heat is the Big Three. One thing that has is their opposition.

They’ve faced the original Big Three in Boston, a MVP level Derrick Rose in Chicago and a young Kevin Durant in the NBA Finals. Last season, they knocked off an up-and-coming Indiana Pacers squad and even topped, perhaps, their biggest hurdle yet — the Gregg Popovich led San Antonio Spurs.

Teams have come together and have been torn apart after facing the Heat — each coming closer and closer to dethroning the King (LeBron) and his Princes (Wade, Bosh). However, none have emulated what the Mavs did in 2011, mostly because LeBron James hasn’t let it happen.

Though, the fact that teams are getting closer and closer – or the fact that the Heat are falling lower and lower – has given the Heat’s opponents hope. Hope that one day someone will beat the Heat, and, most importantly, break the Heat up. Everyone envy’s to be that team – and eventually, someone will.

But will it be this year? That’s the million-dollar question.

And as much as team’s envy to be the team that breaks the Heat up, there’s as much envy – maybe more — to be the “person” that called the Heat’s loss.

Put those two variables together and it equates to one of two things: disrespect, over-confidence, a little of each or both.

Enter this (assumingly) anonymous Eastern Conference executive:

Do teams still fear the Heat? No. Some never even feared them in the first place. Scratch that. They should’ve never feared them in the first place — unless this “executive” is referencing fear and respect as the same thing.

With that said, a lot of the times, fear is respect. However, in this matter (when it comes to the Heat), that isn’t usually the case. From the outright, the Heat played every game as if they had an “x” on their backs, searching for that respect – sometimes looking to instill fear in their opponents. And, most of the time, they failed.

LeBron, and the Heat, weren’t a good villain. At least, not when they overly embraced it. LeBron even admitted that he was trying to hard to prove everyone wrong, and it didn’t work.

So, fear. Apparently no one fears them anymore – at least, everyone on the team not named LeBron James. Which is odd.

I feel like this “executive”, whoever he is, is spitting out more “hate” than knowledge. I’ll assume his reference to “fear” is “respect”. If that’s the case, he’s essentially saying that Dwyane Wade is washed up and that Chris Bosh isn’t a real threat, which you don’t even have to worry about.

It’s a clear shot to both those players. No one else on the team, really.

I think it’s more that than truth.

Sure, Wade isn’t what he used to be and Bosh isn’t exactly listed in the dictionary under dominant. However, you can argue that Wade-Bosh is the best 2-and-3-option combo in the league.

The thing that this “executive” doesn’t get is that Wade and Bosh shouldn’t be judged individually. Sure, the NBA is probably one of the most individualistic team sports out there, however, at the end of the day, it’s still a game in which you live and die by the way the “team” plays. It’s rarely one player’s fault, even though we love the narratives.

Alone Wade is probably a clown; the same goes for Bosh. After all, neither managed to take a team to the NBA Finals on their backs alone, as LeBron James did. Though, isn’t this the exact reason as to why they joined together back on the summer night in July 2010?

Isn’t this the premise of this whole “dynasty”? Individually, they may be clowns, and no one may fear them. But, as a team, and with LeBron James, you kind of have to at least respect them.

So, yes, go ahead. Call them clowns, and talk about how no one fears them anymore. Ironically, no one feared them in the first place. They beat the fear into you – just like they’ll do again. With those washed up clowns.

Some things never change. We’re almost four years removed, and people still doubt them. And they’ll continue to. Until that moment when they get to say: “I told you they would fail”.

Too bad, more than likely, that’ll come after LeBron James, and his clowns, have won multiple rings.

Even if it ends during this postseason run, they’ve already won. Maybe it’s time for that one executive to look in the mirror and find out who the real clown is.