"I'm CHOSEN!": LeBron James reiterates controversial Miami Heat claim after critics lambast him

NBA superstar LeBron James said he would have still been dominant even if he did not join the Miami Heat, where he won his first two NBA titles in the early 2010s.

‘The King’ shared this during Monday’s shootaround ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Heat in Miami. He later reiterated it in a post on social media platform X amid the criticisms he got after making his claim.

The 19-time NBA All-Star said:

“You damn right I would still be! I’m CHOSEN! Ain’t nothing changing that! Maybe less [rings] but DOMINANT from start to finish.”

Among those who had a dissenting opinion on his take was TV sports personality Stephen A. Smith, who highlighted that James’ stint with the Heat did a lot to help him becoming the legend that he is now.

LeBron James played four seasons in South Beach from 2010 to 2014. While with the team, he experienced tremendous success playing alongside fellow superstars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as well as solid batches of supporting players. He helped the Heat reach the NBA Finals in each of his four years, winning it twice in 2012 and 2013.

Miami enjoyed 56 wins per season with LeBron James in tow, with the do-it-all player posting numbers of 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.7 steals in the 294 regular season games he played.

After his time with the Heat, the Akron, Ohio native moved back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that originally selected him first overall in the 2003 NBA rookie draft, helping the franchise win its first-ever title in 2016.

Following a successful second stint in Cleveland, King James took his talent to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2018-19 season. He helped the team win its 17th NBA title in 2020.

As per the Lakers’ game against the Heat on Monday, Los Angeles narrowly lost 108-107. James finished with 30 points, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks. The Lakers are currently sporting a 3-4 record.

"Feel bad for the ones who missed it": LeBron James reflects on dominant Heat days in Eastern Conference

While he feels he would have been fine even without his stint with the Heat, LeBron James, however, acknowledges that his time in Miami was a special one.

Earlier this year, he posted a form of retrospection about playing for the Heat on his Instagram story, with highlights of his days with the team. He wished that more players got to experience it with him because he believes theirs was a solid and fun ride.

He captioned it with:

“Feel bad for the ones who missed it! Sorry guys.”

LeBron James' Instagram story post

LeBron James spent four of his 21 years in the NBA with the Heat, where he experienced great success, punctuated by back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013.