Villain LeBron: Best Moments With the Miami Heat

LeBron James became the villain of the NBA after joining the Miami Heat, but still had a dominant stretch with record-breaking performances.
James guarded Derrick Rose effectively during the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals to help the Heat succeed.
During his historic 2011-12 season, James claimed his third MVP and led the Heat to an NBA Championship.
When
LeBron James
stunned the world by announcing his move to the
Miami Heat
, he became only the third player in NBA history to win the MVP award and change teams the season after.

At 25 years old, James was nearing the peak of his game. But after ‘The Decision,’ almost the entire basketball world turned on James, forcing him to embrace the villain role. For four years, James was the most hated man in the NBA. But that didn’t stop him from shattering records and adding to his already fabulous trophy collection.

Championships, MVPs, game-winners, a 60-point game, broken records through an unforgettable streak — the game’s best player had the most dominant stretch of his career with the Miami Heat.

READ MORE:Ja Morant Sends LeBron James A Warning Following Lakers-Grizzlies

5
Making an MVP Statement… Against the MVP
James shuts down the MVP in Chicago

This was the defining moment of James’ first year in Miami. This perfectly symbolizes the role of the villain James inherited ever since he made those memorable remarks during The Decision.

This wasn’t just some top-of-the-line on-ball defense by James –- this was the former two-time MVP taking the challenge to stop the 2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose.

Entering the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat,
Derrick Rose
was lighting teams up, averaging 28.7 points and 7.7 assists throughout the postseason. After leading the league in offensive box plus-minus and becoming the youngest MVP ever during the season, Rose was a nightmare to defend, especially from the inside the arc.

In the pivotal last two games of the series, James took it upon himself to guard Rose on a few key possessions and played a massive role in helping slow down the MVP.

In Game 4, Rose shot 0-of-5 from the floor and had a turnover when defended by James. And in the closeout Game 5, James’ defensive intensity was too much for the young Rose to handle, limiting the MVP to just one field goal on 10 attempts. Through the five-game series, Rose shot just 6.3 percent from the floor when guarded by James.