The Tribune

LeBron James and Ray Allen traded their basketball shorts for swim trunks, their jerseys for tank tops and their basketball shoes for flip-flops before heading to the Bahamas for a post-season vacation.

The Miami Heat star players were spotted at Baker’s Bay Golf and Ocean Club, a private resort community in the Abacos, just days after the National Basketball Championship (NBA) Finals came to an end.

Photos of the forward and shooting guard enjoying their vacation on Great Guana Cay have made the rounds on social media. A snapshot of James’ arrival, one of Allen taking a stroll in beachwear and another of the pair leaving a local restaurant have gone viral.

Despite a dynamic season, the Heat lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals and while fans await James’ decision on whether to stay with Miami or move to another team, the team’s most valuable player is enjoying the relaxed ambiance and rich culture of The Abacos.

The Heat’s quest for a third straight NBA title had begun in the Bahamas in October when the team held a week’s training camp at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.

During the camp, many of the players said they were happy to be working in paradise, and claimed they fell in love with the sights and sounds of Junkanoo following a special cultural performance that greeted them as they disembarked their private jet.

Months later, Coach Erik Spoelstra gave credit to the Bahamas after the Heat won the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs and advanced to the finals.

“We started this journey a long time ago in the Bahamas. It was a very gruelling training camp. We don’t feel like we’ve accomplished everything we want to right now, but at the same time we don’t take this for granted. Being able to make it four times, we understand how difficult that journey is,” Spoelstra said during the Eastern Conference trophy presentation last month.