Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James recently made a bold statement about what could have been the trajectory of his career had he not joined the Miami Heat in 2010, ahead of their match up on Monday.
The 38-year-old expressed his belief that his performance would have maintained its level, regardless of his decision to "take his talents to South Beach" more than a decade ago.
James expressed appreciation for his time with the Heat, highlighting the organization's esteemed status as a model franchise in sports.
"But as far as my career, my career was going to be my career as far as individually, because I know how much I put into the game and I know how much I strived to be as great as I can be," the NBA's all-time leading scorer said.
In July 2010, James moved to the Heat as a free agent, unveiling his decision through a widely criticized television special titled "The Decision."
Teaming up with future Hall of Famers Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the trio secured two NBA championships in four NBA Finals appearances in a row from 2011 to 2014.
The four-time NBA champion praised the team's renowned "Heat Culture," adding that he was able to learn a lot in his four seasons in Miami.
"It was a culture change for me. People talk about 'Heat Culture' -- it was a culture change, period. I was changing everything about my life for the first time in my life," James described regarding his experience with the franchise.
It is widely believed that James reached his physical and athletic peak during his time with the Heat, particularly in the 2012-13 season.
The Heat famously went through a 27-game winning streak that year. James also secured the most recent regular season MVP award of his career to date, culminating in a triumphant Game 7 victory in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
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Lakers narrowly lose to Heat
Meanwhile, the Lakers failed to take a road win as they barely fell to the Heat, 108-107 at the Kaseya Center.
Bam Adebayo led the Heat with a triple double, putting up 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists for the home team, while Tyler Herro added 22 points of his own.
Meanwhile, James led the Lakers with 30 points, four rebounds and three assists. Austin Reaves flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
Anthony Davis had an injury scare, coming out of the game twice with a left hip spasm. He finished with nine points and six rebounds.
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