Shane Battier admits Heat felt doomed before LeBron James’ 45-point masterpiece: “The most highly publicized failed experiment” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The road to the 2012 NBA title wasn’t easy for the Miami Heat. It took a huge effort from LeBron James and Co. to help the South Beach squad advance to the finals.
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The Heat were on the brink of elimination at the time, with the Celtics holding a 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 6 was to be played at the TD Garden, where the South Florida team had not won that season. Shane Battier, a squad member, recalled how their backs were against the wall back then.
“They’re saying, ‘Look, there is no way the Heat are going to win this game.’ We know if we lose Game 6, this is like maybe the most failed experiment, the most highly publicized failed experiment, and there’s blood on everybody’s hands,” the Duke product shared on Pablo Torre Finds Out.
Loss would be devastating
For the Heat, LeBron James was understandably the player most had their eyes on. It was a huge game, and a loss would have snuffed out any title aspirations. But according to Battier, the four-time MVP was as calm and focused before that game.
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“LeBron knows he has the most at stake. The most! He was very calm that day. But tell you what, when that mother f**ker has that look, ‘Man, let’s go,'” Shane recalled.
Bron rose to the challenge, leading the Heat to a shocking win over the Celtics in Game 6, 98-79. He finished with a game-high 45 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists, helping the Heat force a deciding Game 7.
“It’s like when Adam turns into He-Man. Almost like an aura around him. We’re just like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is just unbelievable,'” the 6th overall pick of the 2001 Draft added.
Bron admits the 2012 ECF took a toll on him
Miami eventually won that series, bringing down the C’s in Game 7, 101-88. For James, it was a big relief, and he admitted that it was the toughest series of his NBA career.
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“They just brought so much out of you. Right? Not only from a physical toll, but from a mental standpoint too — because they had so many guys out there that could do so many things. So at the end of that series, you were just like… ‘I just want to sleep,'” James admitted on “The Mind Game.”
Hence, it was understandable that “King James” and the Heat needed time to recover after that grueling series with the Celtics. They dropped Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals, 105-94, despite the 30-point effort of Bron.
But from that point forward, Miami would not look back. They won the next four games, handing the Heat its second NBA title in franchise history. However, it was sweeter for James, who finally got a taste of the NBA championship.
“This is a dream come true for me. I’ve been through a lot the last two years, but this is definitely the way that it pays off,” James said.
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James would help the Heat win back-to-back titles and then move back to Cleveland in 2014 with the intent of handing the Cavaliers their first title in franchise history. After this series, it was a different Bron who would go on to win a total of four championships and Finals MVPs while making a case for the greatest of all time.
Now at 40, James is hoping for a fifth title. Given his performance so far, he appears bent on winning one more ring before pondering retirement. Time is ticking, and there is no question that Bron is nearing the homestretch of his illustrious career.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.