November 19, 2012, remains a haunting memory for LeBron James fans. On that night, during the height of the Miami Heat‘s “Big Three” era, Rudy Gay – then a rising star for the Memphis Grizzlies – delivered a stunning moment that rocked the NBA.
At the time, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh ruled the league. Fresh off their 2012 NBA title, the Heat were in the midst of a dominant run that would eventually include a 27-game winning streak – the second-longest in NBA history. They crushed opponents with ease. But on a chilly night in Memphis, Rudy Gay rewrote the script.
In a sequence now immortalized in highlight reels, Gay used a slick behind-the-back move to leave Wade behind before soaring down the lane to dunk over Bosh. LeBron, uncharacteristically passive, watched frozen as the arena erupted. The TV announcer’s shout – “Oh my goodness, Rudy Gay took LeBron James to school!” – captured the moment’s shock. The Grizzlies handed Miami a decisive 104-86 defeat, delivering more than just a loss – they bruised the champs’ ego.
Gay remembers the play fondly
Years later, Gay dissected the play with pride.
“LeBron tried to force me left, get there before I did. I knew that. That’s why I went behind the back,” he declared.
Reflecting on that 2012-13 Grizzlies squad, he noted how good the unit was.
“We were built on grit and grind. That team was scary.”
And he wasn’t wrong. That postseason, Memphis ousted the Clippers in six games and stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder in five. Though they were swept by the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, they proved they weren’t just underdogs – they were contenders.
But while Gay was stealing headlines in Memphis, the Miami Heat’s “Big Three” were shaping a dynasty – one that almost didn’t happen in Miami.
According to former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, LeBron, Wade, and Bosh originally planned to join forces in New York.
“They weren’t trying to play in someone else’s city,” Arenas said.
“They were serious about the Knicks.”
But team owner James Dolan prematurely signed Amar’e Stoudemire, unaware of the bigger plan unfolding.
“They didn’t want to play with Amar’e,” Arenas claimed.
So, the trio turned to Heat owner Micky Arison, and the rest was history: four straight Finals appearances, two championships, and a lasting legacy.
Still, for one night in 2012, the mighty Heat were humbled. And Rudy Gay made sure the world would never forget it.
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