Robert Mayer/USA Today Sports
Iman Shumpert Thinks LeBron James ‘Ruined’ Basketball When He Joined the Heat
When LeBron James decided to join the Miami Heat and play with two other superstars the summer of 2010, it created quite a stir.
At least one former NBA player feels the move changed the NBA landscape forever. Iman Shumpert, who played 10 seasons in the league, said recently that James “ruined basketball” when he chose to team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. At the time, all three were in their prime and considered top 10 players.
The move led to Oklahoma City superstar Kevin Durant later deciding to play alongside All-Stars Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson in Golden State a few years later. Shumpert made the comments on the Bootleg Kev podcast.
“It wasn't KD,” Shumpert said. “It was Bron going to Miami. Bron knows he ruined basketball. He thought he was making it better, I get it.”
Shumpert, who has since become a reality television star after retiring from the NBA, said James impacted player loyalty to an organization. Shumpert was a teammate of James when the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
“I love the NBA for the loyalty I thought was there,” Shumpert said. “He basically knocked the fourth wall down.”
The Heat often get the blame for the concept of NBA “super teams” despite the Boston Celtics composing a roster of All-Stars Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce a few years prior.
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