With “The Decision” last week that sent the best basketball player on the planet (in case you’re a caveman that’s LeBron James) to the Miami Heat, LeBron will join fellow NBA all-stars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.

There is one team, however, that is bringing back their own superstars to compete against the Heat in the Eastern Conference, and this trio of NBA veterans is not willing to easily hand over the NBA betting title of “The Big Three.”

The trio of stars from Boston that teamed up in the summer of 2007 to win an NBA championship in their first season playing together are jumping on to new contracts to try and win their second NBA Finals betting championship in just four years together.

Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen signed a two-year deal on Tuesday, reportedly valued at $20 million to stay on with all-star teammates Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Pierce has reportedly agreed to a new contract, and Garnett has two years left on his.

After losing to the Lakers in the NBA Finals this past June, in an intense 7-game series, the Celtics showcased why they are still the best team in the Eastern Conference and able to compete for a championship.

The Heat may be in for a rude awakening if they think they will just breeze through the Eastern Conference without a challenge.

The Celtics posses the pieces to reach the NBA Finals again this year, with a supporting cast that has proven their ability to play amongst Garnett, Pierce, and Allen.

The biggest doubt for the Celtics when they signed “The Big Three” was how would young point guard Rajon Rondo and center Kendrick Perkins respond.

Would they be able to fill in the pieces to help propel the Celtics toward a championship?

In three years since “The Big Three” were brought in to Beantown, Rondo and Perkins have exceeded all expectations. After being drafted in 2006, Rondo received his first all-star appearance last year. He has improved every year in points, assists, and steals averaging a career best in all three categories last year with 13.7 PPG, 9.8 APG, and 2.3 SPG.

Kendrick Perkins has developed into a hardworking center that takes a lot of the interior punishment in games so veteran superstar Kevin Garnett can be effective on the offensive end.

The Celtics have aligned their stars and are ready to challenge for the NBA Eastern Conference title against the young trio in Miami.

The Heat are in a very similar situation as the Celtics were when they originally signed their “Big Three.” Miami will need forward Udonis Haslem and third-year point guard Mario Chalmers to successfully adapt to playing alongside three megastars.

Will The Real Big Three Please Stand Up? What do you think about it?

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He's coming to Miami to change that.

Miller signed his long-awaited five-year contract with the Heat on Thursday, becoming the latest player to take less money than he could have made elsewhere to play for Miami. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem all did the same in recent days, all with eyes on winning a championship.

"It's official!'' Miller wrote on Twitter, thanking the Heat, owner Micky Arison and team president Pat Riley for making it happen.

After James, Bosh and Wade decided to team up, the Heat knew they needed a shooter to complement the All-Star trio, and that only raised Miller's stock in Miami. Riley met with Miller in the very first moments after free agency opened at 12:01 a.m. eastern time on July 1, sitting down with him in a Beverly Hills hotel room for a sales pitch unlike any other.

The Heat, Riley said that night, were going after James and Bosh to join Wade. And they wanted Miller to join the party.

Miller talked with at least four other teams after that, but in the end, nothing was going to change his mind about coming to the Heat.

"Pat had a vision for the team, a vision that he laid out with evangelical fervor,'' Miller's agent, Arn Tellem, wrote on his blog earlier this week. "We left the room converted.''

The convert now has a contract, worth around $25 million. It was signed on the same day the Minnesota Timberwolves planned to introduce former Heat forward Michael Beasley to their fan base, which is more than coincidental. By trading Beasley for draft picks, that cleared the cap space Miami needed to sign Miller.

He agreed to the deal in principle late last week after James picked Miami. Some minor hangups in the contract process sparked speculation that Miller would go elsewhere, rumors that were proven unfounded.

Miller shot a career-best 48 percent from 3-point range last season with Washington, with career averages of 13.7 points and 5.1 rebounds.

James played a significant role in recruiting Miller to Miami, and in turn, that made Haslem's decision to stay much easier as well. Haslem and Miller have been close for many years, going back to their time together as Florida Gators.

"That's my college roommate,'' Haslem said earlier this week. "Our relationship is a lot deeper than just basketball. He's like Dwyane is to me, except we're just different colors. I would say Dwyane is my brother and I would say Mike is brother. Different backgrounds, obviously different races, but that's my brother.''

Miami becomes Miller's fifth NBA team, after stints with Orlando, Memphis, Minnesota and Washington. He hasn't appeared in a postseason game since 2006, and has never played in the second round of the playoffs. The last time he was part of a playoff win was with Orlando in 2002; Miller's teams are 0-14 in postseason contests since.

Juwan Howard signs deal with Heat


Howard joined the Miami Heat on Tuesday, signing a deal that won't raise the ire of NBA officials - unlike his first agreement with Riley. In July 1996, Howard signed a $100 million, seven-year contract with Miami that was ultimately voided by the league because the Heat had gone over the salary cap.

After all this time, Riley thinks Howard will fit his team again. And for a veteran's minimum salary, the NBA won't complain either.

``We feel that Juwan?s ability to play both the four and five spot will be complimentary to what we have put together,'' said Riley, Heat president. ``He also gives us incredible professionalism and is a perfect fit behind Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem.''

Howard becomes the 12th player under contract by the Heat for 2010-11, the sixth newcomer to join the rebuilt roster. Miami will be the ninth team for Howard, who will begin his 17th NBA season this fall. He appeared in 73 games with Portland last season and averaged 6.0 points, making 27 starts.

``I know about what happened. It's a great story,'' Heat guard Dwyane Wade said last week, when he learned that Howard signing with Miami was merely a formality. ``He gets to come back here and hopefully he gets to have his first championship.''

Howard said he is thrilled to finally get the chance to play in Miami.

``I'm looking forward to working hard this upcoming season and contributing in any way I can,'' He said.

The Howard reunion of sorts with Miami is tinged in irony.

Riley originally signed Howard in what he thought was a blockbuster summer of 1996, seeing him as a huge chip to play alongside Alonzo Mourning - who landed a $112 million deal from Miami in that same offseason. Instead, Howard arrives during the blockbuster summer of 2010, with Mourning now an executive who helped the Heat land LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

``It's kind of ironic,'' Wade said. ``It's sweet. I'm happy for him. ... We're getting a lot of experience. It's about the right fit and I think he can have that fit.''

What Howard doesn't have is a championship ring, which is why he came to Miami.

For his career, Howard has averaged 14.3 points and 6.5 rebounds. Among active players, he ranks fourth in games (1,116), 15th in points (15,957) and 10th in rebounds (7,251). But his playoff career is largely nonexistent: Howard has appeared in just 29 playoff games (his teams are 9-20), and he's been out of the first round of the postseason only once.

Riley has watched Howard for a long time.

So has Wade.

Like Wade, Howard - who was part of Michigan's ``Fab Five'' in the early 1990s, so he's got some base for comparison to the circus that awaits Wade, Bosh and James this season - is a Chicago native. They work out at the gym owned by famed trainer Tim Grover in their hometown, though rarely together.

By the time Wade arrives most mornings, Howard is getting done with his daily regimen.

``I get there at 9 and think I'm there early, and he's done with his workout,'' Wade said. ``That's our veteran. That's one of those veterans we respect so much because every time we walk in the gym, he's been there before us. To be at the point where he is in his career, we just respect him so much. He's a great guy, you want things to happen to good people.''

With Howard signed, the Heat now have an inside corps of himself, Bosh, Haslem, Joel Anthony, Jamaal Magloire, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and rookie Dexter Pittman. At guards and on the wing, Miami has Wade, James, Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers and James Jones.

Next up is likely the return of point guard Carlos Arroyo, who started 35 games for the Heat this past season. The Heat are still looking for at least one other veteran perimeter player, though any deal now would almost certainly have to be around a minimum-salary level because of cap rules.