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NBA: The 10 Biggest Storylines Heading Into The 2016-17 Season

By Richard Staple

Jun 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates with the Bill Russell MVP Trophy after beating the Golden State Warriors in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates with the Bill Russell MVP Trophy after beating the Golden State Warriors in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 16, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat center
Mar 16, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat center /

End of the Big 3 Era In Miami

Pat Riley recently announced that the Heat will not clear Chris Bosh and have officially moved on from him. With Dwyane Wade shockingly heading to his hometown of Chicago to play for the Bulls, the Big 3 in the Heat has officially reached its end, and a new era in Miami Heat basketball has arised.

The Big 3 started when Chris Bosh announced that he would be teaming up in Miami with Dwyane Wade, and then all eyes were own the crown jewel of the free agency class of 2010, LeBron James.

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Then, in a special one hour program on ESPN, LeBron James announced that he was “taking his talents to South Beach”, and thus, the Big 3 was born. The Big 3 was ushered in with a big celebratory party and LeBron conceiving that the Heat, with this roster, could go on to win in excess of 6-7 championships. However, the Big 3 would only stay for four seasons.

All three were all stars for all four years. LeBron James would help Miami repeat in 2012 and 2013, and made the Finals all  four years.

However, in the summer of 2014, where Miami and Cleveland were the only two options he’d consider, eyebrows were raised when LeBron opted to go home and fufill his promise to win a championship for Cleveland, leaving Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh behind. Then, at around February of last year, Bosh experienced health issues and it was then attributed to blood clots.

The same issue arose at around the same time period this season, and ultimately, for Bosh’s good, Miami Heat doctors and ultimately Pat Riley believed that it was in best interest for both parties to not clear Bosh, thus leaving Dwyane Wade to carry the Heat in what would be his last season with the franchise as well.

Now that the Big 3 era is finished in Miami, the future of this franchise is now in the hands of electric point guard Goran Dragic, but perhaps more so in the youthful big man, Hassan Whiteside, who exploded in the NBA seemingly out of nowhere two seasons ago. With the Eastern Conference getting stronger, however, the losses of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, however, contention for a playoff spot will get very steep for this new Miami squad.

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