The Front Row with MARK NELKE July 10, 2011
One year ago, rumor had it, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh needed a remote place to discuss their future plans, so they met in Coeur d'Alene - where they figured they could gather in peace and relative anonymity.
Days later, James went on ESPN and said he was taking his talents to South Beach, where he would join Wade and fellow free agent Bosh to form the latest "Big Three" with the Miami Heat.
It almost paid off the first season. Miami built a 2-1 lead over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA finals, but the Mavs won three straight games to capture their first NBA title.
One year later, we understand the three returned to North Idaho recently to hash out what happened in that first season.
James: "Why are we still taking so much heat these days? There's so much else going on in the world - the Casey Anthony trial, the NFL lockout, Tiger's injury, the Women's World Cup ... "
Bosh: "The women's what?
Wade: "Well, when you tell the whole world last year that we're going to win 'not six, not seven ... ' NBA titles, people are going to keep dissing on us until we win that first one."
Bosh: "Hey, I made my game-winning jumper in the finals."
Wade: "Do you think we should have mocked Dirk Nowitzki with that fake coughing fit before Game 5?"
James: "I don't think that made a difference. But who was that old whitebeard Jay Leno lookalike they trotted out to sing the national anthem before Game 1? I didn't think a man could sing that high."
Wade: "That was Michael McDonald. Some say he's the guy the ruined the Doobie Brothers. Then again, that was the one home game we won in the series."
Bosh: "Hey, I made my game-winning jumper in the finals."
Wade: "That's right, Game 3. That was the last game we won. After that, every time we had a lead late in the game, we looked like we were trying to run the clock out. We looked like we were afraid to score any more points.”
James: “Don’t blame me — I tried to be unselfish in the finals, and if I wasn’t open, I made sure to kick the ball to an open teammate.”
Wade: “Yeah, but we didn’t bring you here to be Jason Kidd. We brought you here to beat guys like Jason Kidd off the dribble, overpower them on the way to the hoop, not let them force you into fallaway jump shots with the clock winding down. Remember that game against the Pistons a few years ago, when you scored like 25 points in a row even though everybody and their brother knew you were going to try to score? Take the ball to the hole, man. If they get in your way, dunk those guys through the hoop too.”
Bosh: “What’s with these moose all over downtown?”
James: “I know, but I didn’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings, being the new guy and all.”
Wade: “Don’t worry about that. You think the Mavericks were worried about running an equal-opportunity offense? When they needed a basket, they just posted up Dirk and threw him the ball — even if he was 30 feet from the basket. And he usually came through. And if not, his teammates stepped up by making ridiculous shots. Jason Terry. Jason Kidd. J.J. Berea ... ”
James: “Who?
Wade: “Berea. You know, that little squirt who probably wouldn’t even get asked to play in a pickup game, but who kept hitting all those shots and breaking our backs and making Mark Cuban happy.”
Bosh: “Hey, I made my game-winning jumper in the finals.”
(By this time the Big Three has reached the 14th hole at The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course. Instead of smacking his tee shot over the lake and onto the Floating Green, James shanks a 5-iron off the hosel.)
Wade: “Whoa, dude. You almost hit Elton John.”
James: “Maybe we should invite him to sing the anthem next year in the finals.”
Wade: “If we’re all three together by then. I keep hearing rumors they should trade one of us and get a post guy.”
James: “How can they trade us? We made the decision to come here. We formed this team. I thought we decided who comes and goes here.”
Wade: “Hey, you’re right. I’ll talk to Riles next week, and see what’s up with that.”
Bosh: “Hey, I made my game-winning jumper in the finals.”
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected].