Perkins: LeBron’s “…not six, not seven” title count still haunts Heat

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LeBron James' title count and the Heat's arrogance at the "Welcome Celebration" won't ever be forgotten.

LeBron James’ title count and the Heat’s arrogance at the “Welcome Celebration” won’t ever be forgotten.

“But that really was for our fans and it got wonderfully out of hand. And how everybody covered it? They used it as an albatross across our back.”

—Heat president Pat Riley, 11 months after the Big Three “Welcome Celebration.”

MIAMI – Fairly or not, tonight’s Game 6 of the NBA Finals is a referendum on the Miami Heat’s Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

And, fairly or not, any referendum on the Big Three becomes a referendum on James.

That’s where we sit today, hours before tipoff.

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Perkins: Heat dispatch Pacers, and now go to work on their legacy

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Heat forward LeBron James has led the Heat to the NBA Finals for a third consecutive year, and now they have a chance to become a team for the ages.

Heat forward LeBron James has led the Heat to the NBA Finals for a third consecutive year, and now they have a chance to become a team for the ages.

MIAMI – It took longer than expected, but the Miami Heat have earned a third consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. The Big Three, along with coach Erik Spoelstra, came through in their biggest game of the year.

Now, the real work begins. Now, this Miami foursome begins the job of working on their legacy.

LeBron James. Dwyane Wade. Chris Bosh. Erik Spoelstra. These are the men who shape the Heat, who determine the team’s fate. And these are the men tasked with getting the defending champion Heat back-to-back titles in their Finals matchup against San Antonio. 

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Perkins: James’ spectacular third quarter has Heat on verge of Finals

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LBJ cropMIAMI – NBA playoff games are rarely won in the third quarter. Thursday was an exception. LeBron James made sure of that.

James, the Miami Heat’s superstar forward and the undisputed Best Player on the Player, had 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and one block in the third quarter of the Heat’s 90-79 Game 5 Eastern Conference finals victory over Indiana.

“That’s LeBron showing his greatness and making it look easy,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Think about it this way: LeBron’s third-quarter stats were better than the entire night’s work for every one of his teammates, and six of the nine Pacers who took the court.

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Perkins: LeBron James is the best, and he keeps getting better

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Heat Ring tiltMIAMI – This was the best player of his generation doing what he now does best – win.

When Heat superstar LeBron James drove the lane against Indiana and made a game-winning layup with no time left to give Miami a 103-102 Game 1 Eastern Conference finals victory in overtime, he sent the crowd at AmericanAirlines Arena into a frenzy and the Pacers into a stunned funk.

“He continues to amaze, I think, the game of basketball, the world of basketball,” guard Dwyane Wade said.

That’s not easy when you’re already the consensus Best Player on the Planet.

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Perkins: I’ll never doubt Dwyane Wade again

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neveragainMIAMI – I’m through doubting Dwyane Wade.

I’ve done it a few times over the years for various reasons – knee surgery, shoulder surgery, ankle injury, etc… — and Wade, the Miami Heat’s superstar guard, always comes back strong. We saw it after his injury-shortened 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, we saw it in last year’s playoffs, we saw it in the second half of this season.

We saw it again Wednesday in the Heat’s 94-91 Game 5 second round series-clinching victory over Chicago.

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