When you are a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, you tend to have some influence over people. Over the past few years, the NBA has seen an intriguing shift in free agency decisions. Specifically, everyone wants to play with LeBron James. It is not that surprising, really, but with the news that Shawn Marion has decided to join the man he once played to a standstill in the NBA Finals, the time felt right to go through a comprehensive list of all the people who have gone ring-chasing with the King.
Shaquille O’Neal
This may be a surprising place to start, considering the big fella’ already had won 4 NBA Championships when he facilitated a trade from Pheonix to Cleveland, but all signs point to this being the first move where a player definitively wanted to play with James. O’Neal did not make too much of an impact, however, and the Cavaliers squandered one of their best seasons ever and lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Big Z was one of LeBron’s favorite teammates in Cleveland, so when James made the switch to Miami in the summer of 2010, he heavily recruited Ilgauskas to play with him for a championship. Ilgauskas did not have much left in the tank but gave it a go for a ring.
Mike Miller
Miller was one of the best shooters on the free agent market and turned down bigger money to play with LeBron in Miami. Ultimately the move worked out pretty well for him, as he won two NBA titles with the Heat, and rumor had it that James was none too pleased to see the Heat opt not to re-sign Miller for the 2013-14 season. Miller also will be re-joining James in Cleveland this season (surprise, surprise). Miller famously caught fire in the legendary game 6 of the NBA Finals, sparking a comeback that culminated in another ring-chaser hitting a particularly important shot…
Ray Allen
Bingo! Yes, Allen was another ring-chasing defector who left the Boston Celtics to play with LeBron. Jesus Shuttlesworth famously hit the game-tying shot in game 6 and ultimately helped the Heat win in seven games, in one of the most epic NBA Finals showdowns ever. Allen is also reportedly considering joining LeBron again in Cleveland this year, after deciding he would not retire.
Eddie House
Another former Celtic, House left after a disappointing NBA Finals loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and attempted to reprise his role as clutch bench scorer/defensive stopper, but was unable to perform as well as he did in Boston. He signed for the veteran minimum, and is a class-A example of a ring chaser.
Mike Bibby
Who could forget about Mike Bibby? Though he was a shell of his Sacramento Kings’ self, Bibby decided to give it another go in Miami with LeBron. Bibby gave up over $6 million in order to sign for the league minimum for the Heat’s playoff run. Ultimately he was not very effective, but did provide some clutch shots in the playoffs before the Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks.
Shane Battier
Shane Battier had carved himself an excellent professional career by 2011, but the only thing missing was the elusive NBA Title. Battier joined the supersquad in Miami to be their defensive stopper/three-point shooter and performed his role excellently. He helped stymy Kevin Durant in 2011 and hit several clutch shots in 2012 en route to winning two titles before retiring.
Ronny Turiaf
Yes, Ronny Turiaf! In 2012 Turiaf was traded and cut, leaving him a free agent in the midst of LeBron’s first title run. Turiaf made the decision to join the Heat for the playoffs, and ultimately ended up with his only NBA Title. Though he made little impact on the team’s performance, he still has one more ring than I do. Moving on…
Chris Andersen
Birdman joined the Heat in 2012 on a series of ten-day contracts before proving he was worth the full deal. He provided athleticism and defense off the bench and ultimately contributed on Miami’s second straight championship. Andersen contributed again in 2013-14, though the team lost in the finals to the San Antonio Spurs. Birdman decided to stay with the Heat this offseason despite the departure of James.
Rashard Lewis
The former $118 million dollar man decided to give it a run with James in Miami, though he also signed to be reunited with his former teammate in Seattle, Ray Allen. Lewis won his ring in 2012-13 and was one of the Heat’s lone bright spots in the 2013-14 NBA Finals for his play against the Spurs.
Michael Beasley
The former Miami Heat second overall pick resurfaced in Miami to try to win a ring. Beasley was a bench player who did not see very much time on the court, unless the game was out of hand. Beasley ultimately did not win his ring, and spent a season reminding Miami of the pick it wasted in 2008, after coming oh-so-close to getting Derrick Rose and missing out on guys like Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love. Ouch.
Greg Oden
The second most famous blown draft decision in Portland tried to resurrect his career in Miami after going through several knee surgeries to correct a problem that has made him a fraction of the player he was at Ohio State. Unfortunately for the big man he did not win his ring and did not make much of an impact on the team either. It is hard to blame him for joining James, given how his career has gone, but the move did not work out as planned.
James Jones
Finally, Jones was a stalwart of the Miami Heat from 2008-2014, winning two rings with James during his tenure there. Jones jumped ship to continue playing with LeBron in Cleveland this year, showing that LeBron liked it, put a ring on it, and proved Beyoncé correct once and for all.
Did I miss anyone? Should Kevin Love be added to this list? Let us know what you think in the comments below!