The naturally gifted Heat Big Three looked utterly pitiful against the Los Angeles Lakers led by the Purple and Gold Double Elbows.
In the fourth quarter, which had devolved into garbage time, the Heat Big Three sat on the bench staring at one another, but no one spoke.
LeBron James shut his eyes, his face full of pain. This left Erik Spoelstra, the rookie head coach who had wanted to speak with him, afraid to say anything. He could only spread his hands helplessly.
For a time, the Heat's atmosphere sank into an unprecedented slump.
Miami Heat headquarters.
Inside the general manager's office.
Pat Riley, the Heat's decision-maker and master strategist, had lost his usual composure at this moment... He sat rigidly upright before his computer.
"This Los Angeles team..."
"How exactly are we supposed to beat them?"
"Fortunately, these two teams won't meet again for another two months. That should be enough time for Dwyane and LeBron to get their minds right."
Meanwhile, on the court, the Lakers' bench unit had declined even further compared to last year.
Old Fish Derek Fisher, Metta World Peace, and Lamar Odom were all another year older than they had been last season. With a 30-point lead in hand, they played somewhat casually, but they remained highly effective on offense.
These court veterans made team basketball look effortless—off-ball screens, cuts, movement, and constant ball reversals.
Wherever the player went, the ball arrived!
The ball moved with the players!
The game ended.
90 to 115!
In their opening game of the 2010-2011 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat Big Three by 25 points.
No...
More accurately, they had crushed the Heat Big Three from start to finish.
After the game, the Heat Big Three became targets of public criticism.
"LeBron...