Friday, April 27th, 2012 at 10:45 am  |  82 responses

No Title a ‘Failure’ for Miami: Dwyane Wade Says ‘Yes’, LeBron James Disagrees


With another postseason battle together just on the horizon, teammates LeBron James and Dwyane Wade don’t quite see eye-to-eye when it comes to what coming up short of the ultimate prize would mean. Per the Sun-Sentinel: “As they looked ahead to the start of the NBA playoffs, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade noted Thursday how they’ve come together in their thinking about late-game situations. But there is one significant difference between the Miami Heat stars when it comes to the notion of whether this season would be a ‘failure’ without a championship. Wade said yes; James said no. ‘The season won’t be a failure,’ James said. ‘You put too much work into a season to automatically call it a failure, but it would be a disappointment. This is our goal. This is what we’ve come together for. A failure is a strong word. We commit ourselves and we dedicate our season, we work hard every day and to automatically say it’s a failure, I think that’s a big word. But I think it’d be a disappointment, because that’s what you work hard for every day.’ Wade was more definitive. ‘I say yes,’ he said. ‘There’s only one champion. It’s a failure for every other team. If you don’t win a championship, you had a failed year.’”

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  • slamfan4life

    ofcourse its a failure year, ever year should be if you dont get that title!

  • Shem

    Their contrasting opinions is the reason why Wade has jewelry and LBJ does not.

  • http://www.twitter.com/hurstysyd Hursty

    It’s a failure. Don’t downplay the expectations on yourself & your team.
    Shem – lolwut. Don’t even start.

  • Iggi

    D. Wade is my favorite NBA player and King James is my 2nd favorite, however I have to agree with James on this “disappointing YES failure NO.
    #2 seed in the east I wouldn’t consider that a failure. In my opinion right now they deserve the championship more then any body else in the league.

  • T-Money

    failure, disappointment… semantics, no?

  • Dungeon Family

    Lebron so weak minded

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    It will be a disappointment if MIA doesn’t win a championship but it will be in the eyes of the media and most fans a colossal failure if LeBron doesn’t win.

  • Ash

    @JTaylor21 I agree. But for Lebron say its not a failure but a disappointment makes me wonder if, he wants it bad enough

  • http://www.slamonline.com Jahmai

    I would call it ‘weird’. LeBron James has been in the league for nine years, now he has DWYANE freaking Wade (still mindbogling to me) and Bosh for the 2nd year in a row going into the playoffs. If he doesn’t win a championship it would be weird, obiously he still has more years to achieve his goal but still. The crazier thing is I wouldn’t bet all my money on Miami this year, there are alot of candidates this year. Maybe the most intriguing playoffs in the last 5 years. It certainly is to me.

  • http://www.fullc0urtpress.com KHOLIDAY

    I agree with Lebron’s explanation and line of thinking, but as a player at this point of his career, LBJ should have D-Wade’s mindset.

  • cru_thik305

    why is it everything he says has to be criticized and tried to make seem like he’s the worst player ever? if he had said that it would be a failure if they didnt win this year then you guys would have said that his whole career has been a failure or some crap like that. yeah he has d wade and chris bosh on his team now, but name his other 2 best players he had in cleveland at anypoint. thank you, thats all i need to point out. to say that he might not want it bad enough makes you sound like a dumbass, why wouldnt he want to suceed???? i swear you guys need to stop hating soooo much on the dude, its like as soon as you saw the title of this post you came in with something to say. he never said he would be fine if they didnt win, so i dont understand what problem you would have with what he said.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    T-Money – Yes.

  • http://www.nba.com Red

    @Iggi why do they deserve to win it? It’s not an MVP trophy nobody deserves it you win it simply. Heck if anyone deserves it it’s my Bulls or the Spurs

  • pacman

    Da Spurs!!!

  • http://nba.com GP23

    Man, I can’t even imagine what the ‘hate’ would be like if the Heat failed to win it this year.

  • Ldub

    Its fair to say it would be both. You failed to win the ring and its a damn shame and disappointment as well (to yourselves, fans, etc). Technically it is a failed season because at the end of the year, the only thing that does and should matter is the trophy and rings. If you dont obtain that theeennnnnn….its a FAILURE!

  • Drig

    Maybe it’s something that comes with age???

    As you come closer to the end of your prime ( Like Kobe and Wade is fast approaching ), you start to believe the season is a failure if they don’t go all the way???

  • Ranlygeorge

    Lebron is just preparing the Heat fans for Chokefest.
    Every team or player should view not achieving a championship as a failure.
    I’m sure there are guys on the Bobcots that wanted to win a CHAMPIONSIP
    this year and are disappointed they didn’t. Lebron has a loser mentality. He needs to change that.
    Kobe expects to win the championship every year and that’s a winner

  • http://slamonline.com The Philosopher

    “What di f*** difference do it make where I’m from, maing?”
    (Antonio Montana – Scarface)

  • http://www.slamonline.com spit hot fiyah

    nbk and t-money, i was thinking the same thing.

  • http://slamonline.com Datkid

    oh my god Lebron the worst things come out of your mouth sometimes… and yes it is a failure. an incredibly impressive failure but a failure nonetheless

  • cru_thik305

    where the f*** did he say he doesnt expect to win one????????????

  • smoove

    Lebron preemptively trying to make light of the situation just in case he does fail…and with that attitude it proves the difference their mindset.

  • AsadSaleh3

    LeBron has to know he can’t say this. Forget the media and the fans because we all saw him talking about how many championships the team will get before last season started. He did this to himself. Why does Wade understand this but he doesn’t?

  • http://www.soundcloud.com/tray-5 T-Ray

    Asad
    Because Wade has won one so he knows that it’s win or bust. LeBron should be more hungry but who knows he could be trying to psych himself out.

  • Justin05

    Lebron is going to win his 3rd MVP this season…that’s why this season isn’t a failure to him. The dude is going to win at least 5 MVPs in his career but I doubt he gets one championship

  • AsadSaleh3

    @T-Ray
    True. I’m just surprised they haven’t talked about it. At this point, they should be 100% on the same page.

  • Rainman

    This is the difference between a Champ and a chump here. A person who has felt what winning was like, and another that at this point isnt sure he’ll ever get there. He doesnt wanna call his whoel career a failure, wud he?

  • http://www.soundcloud.com/tray-5 T-Ray

    Asad I just don’t think the Big 3 are on the same page or will ever be on the same page personally. Wade had been to the promise land and succeeded, Bron has been twice and left in defeat(he should be the hungriest to back) and Bosh who go his first taste last year and played really well might I add. I just think they all have different levels of hunger.

  • roman

    Lebron’s setting himself up for failure????

  • Jerome

    LeBron James just displaying the talents he brought to Souf Beach. Vocal leadership.

  • AsadSaleh3

    @T-Ray
    I’m glad you pointed out that Bosh played well because he definitely did. It would be beneficial for the team if LeBron borrowed some of Wade’s attitude before tomorrow afternoon. The seemingly nonchalant attitude is the last thing LeBron should want to have seeing as how that same attitude led him to pass and stand in the corner during the Finals last season.

  • http://www.soundcloud.com/tray-5 T-Ray

    Yeah I don’t see how anyone could overlook Bosh’s performance. You’re asking too much for LeBron to develop that killer instinct that Wade or Kobe have. I just don’t think it’s in his nature he’s a nice guy who wants to be friends with everyone. Wade means business and even if LeBron isn’t putting up his numbers now in the playoffs I think they could still win it all. Him being subpar is better than what he did last year.

  • lakernation

    @Justin05 U nailed it right on the head! Lebron is definetly wrong and anyone who knows what the definition of failure is, would agree to think the same. Wade is speaking for the team, player, coach, owner and fans……Lebron is speaking for himself. He will win the MVP(“You put too much work into a season to automatically call it a failure”) so this season wasnt a failure if they dont win the championship.

  • lakernation

    @cru_thikk
    lebron said its not a failure if he doesnt win one pretty much states that he doesnt expects to win one! definition of failure;nonperformance of something due, required, or EXPECTED.

  • D-Funk

    cant WAIT for tha Heat to fail…*rubbin ashy hands together*

  • AsadSaleh3

    LeBron could be subpar with Wade being great and they could win, true. That wouldn’t get anyone off of LeBron’s back though. With the pressure he put on himself, he has to be the best player on the floor and win in order for the critics to be silenced.

  • bike

    LeBron’s just saying it’s only a game. There’s always next year. Besides, we still make lots of money, can get any chick we want, so in the big picture it really doesn’t matter at all.

  • PaulT

    If you go into a season with the realistic expectation or goal being to win a chip (which is the case for Miami) and you don’t, then you failed to reach your expectation or goal. In this case, I would agree with James that failure is a big word, but that’s because it’s based on a big (but realistic) expectation.

  • bull22

    wade is just copying off pat riley who says the same thing as if he were phil jackson with 11 rings. phil and red auerbach are the only ones who could truly say this if they wanted to. i cant stand lebron but he is right on this one, his team’s bench is off, so failing is a bit too much.

  • vtrobot

    Yeah, you get yourself in trouble if you try to speak to much of the truth. Just say the expected sound bite that everyone wants to hear. If he misses a game winning shot, is it really related to the fact that he called it a potential “disappointment” and not “failure?” @ Jahmai: I agree. Lots of great match-ups and seemingly well matched old vet teams and up and coming teams. Lots of potential for weird upsets too. Should be fun.

  • Derek Fisher

    Miami has the worst combination of PG’s and Center’s out of all the playoff teams. This is why they won’t win the ship.

  • RIGGS

    if they DONT win this year, Bosh has got to go right?

  • heyheyhey

    Thats why Lebron got no ring, he doesn’t have the attitude and intensity that Wade has.

  • wishuwould247

    Miami is my squad but this right here is the reason I never care deeply about Lebron, he doesn’t have the heart like DWade. People get caught up in Lebron’s physical and don’t examine his heart. Now if you take him off from beside DWade then he is a breast but while he on the Miami Heat he is a cub. DWade is a killer, he smell blood, I luv him. Lebron doesn’t have the heart of a champion and it shows.

  • JP

    I Like Lebron James and D.Wade, bur I would have to agree with D-wade on this one. Those who are saying its not a failure, let’s take this example you spend 4 years in high school or college trying to get a degree and you come away with nothing not even the diploma or degree. You spent all that years working towards a degree and come with nothing i called that a failur not a dissapointment.

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

    ….SMH

  • LP

    Once you taste that ship, its a failure when you don’t get it…2nd place is the first loser.

  • Cru_thik305

    @ lakernation: he clearly said that it they didnt win he would be dissappointed, so what more do you wamt him to say. A failure in this case would be if they struggled all year and barely made the playoffs (like the knicks), but instead they had a pretty sucessful regular season and are ready to get a second chance at a ring. Im pretty sure that youve heard the saying that losses teach you more than victories, and i think thats what he was saying here. By no means is he saying that hes ok losing in the finals.

  • ash

    I don’t know Lebron but maybe winning a championship is not all that important to him. At the end of day, our words nor comments don’t matter to him. If Lebron cared so much to be liked I would think he would be dying to win championships and he would of never left Cleveland. Just my opinion

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