LeBron James breaks down losing 2011 NBA Finals to Mavericks despite Heat's 'Big 3' era: "Dallas was f**king good"

When LeBron James joined the Miami Heat, he, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh vowed to bring a slew of rings to the Heat organization. In their first season, however, the team ran into a Dallas Mavericks squad who simply wouldn't be denied. In a six-game series, the Mavericks defeated the Heat largely thanks to the stellar play of Dirk Nowitzki.

During a recent episode of the 'Mind The Game with LeBron James and JJ Redick,' the four-time NBA champion opened up on the series.

[00:08:09] "Listen it is what it is, you win and you lose and we lost. Dallas was f*****g good and they hit they hit a stride at the right time. Dirk was unbelievable. But my second year, we were able to grab some complimentary players and role players that were really just superstars in their roles."

To date, the series remains an iconic moment in time, with many NBA fans still in awe of how Nowitzki and the Mavericks were able to overcome the "Big Three." While a large number of fans and analysts predicted that the Heat would dominate the NBA, the Mavericks put on an all-time performance throughout the finals.

Of course, James and the Heat were then able to go back-to-back in the Finals the following two years before coming up short in James' final year with the franchise. By the time he and the Heat parted ways at the end of the 2013-14 NBA season, they had captured two titles in four years.

JJ Redick praises roleplayers for playing integral role in Miami Heat and LeBron James' success

When LeBron James joined the Miami Heat, many questioned whether or not the league should have stepped in to veto the move. As we saw years back when the LA Lakers tried to acquire Chris Paul, the NBA wasn't a fan of the move.

Because of that, when James joined the Miami Heat, many questioned whether or not the move was fair to the rest of the league. As the Dallas Mavericks proved, however, despite the Heat being an arguable super team, they weren't going to be denied.

James indicated while speaking to JJ Redick that the Miami Heat's success largely came down to acquiring high-quality role players. That roster overhaul notably saw the team acquire Shane Battier, who played an integral role in the offensive and defensive schemes.

As Redick indicated to James on their podcast, a superteam doesn't work unless quality role players are involved.

"It doesn't work unless you have those guys, and you've lived it multiple times."

This situation seems to have plagued several other teams since then, who have attempted to assemble a group of stars. As they and the Miami Heat learned, things don't always pan out without the right roleplayers.