If you are anything like me, you have had a Christmas countdown going since the minute you finished your Thanksgiving dinner. Your wish-list was emailed out as soon as you got home from your Black Friday shopping trip, during which you purchased gifts for all of your loved ones, of course. Your coffee table became Santa’s workshop, complete with your favorite holiday Spotify station, right after you found the perfect wrapping paper, bows and name-tags. And you have watched nothing else but the likes of ABC Family, Lifetime and the Hallmark Channel for the past few weeks.
Christmas is now three days away and although the celebratory meals, gift-exchanges and photo shoots are enough to look forward to, we must not lose sight of something else; on December 25, the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers will go head to head at the AmericanAirlines Arena.
So, in anticipation of that extraordinary event, here are three things to keep in mind.
1. The Heat will honor LeBron James and James Jones.
Yes, despite the fact that James ditched the team he once caused a media frenzy over (and for the Cavaliers no less), Miami has decided to give both former players a tribute. After all, the King delivered his promise of a ring and got the Heat back on the map during his four years in South Beach. And although the departure hurt all the same, James was indeed a free agent, simply exercising his rights. Miami has never backed away from honoring one of their own (Joel Anthony, Mike Miller, and even Shaquille O’neal), and they are not going to start now.
2. Currently, it looks like Chris Bosh may not get a chance to take part in the Big Three’s reunion.
Though there is no definitive answer yet, Bosh may have to sit this one out. Sticking strictly to numbers for a minute, obviously this would be bad news for the Heat, as Bosh is arguably their best player. Sidelined with a strained calf since before December 14, Bosh has not been given an official time-table for his return. While some sources say that the strain is putting him out for “a few weeks,” others indicate that there has been recent improvement in his condition. Statistics aside however, fans of either team would be missing out on quite a show should Bosh have to sit out. It is no secret that the Big Three had a slight falling out since James took off, and I for one would love to see the on-court dynamic between the trio. After all, what would make a better Christmas present?
3. If Bosh is out, Chris Andersen will likely start.
This Christmas, Mr. Claus may deliver us the gift of a 7-foot wingspan, wrapped in a honky tonk tattoo and a mohawk. It may be hard to believe, but Andersen had never started for Miami previous to now. In fact, in his 13 years in the NBA, he has never been a full-time starter. Although he has had some impressive games, Andersen’s minutes with the team have been inconsistent. However, with James out of the picture and Bosh nursing an injury, head coach Erik Spoelstra has assigned more responsibility to Birdman; last night Andersen started for the third game in a row. While many may see this change as a major step in their career, like with many things, Andersen has a different take on the situation. When asked about his new role, he stated:
“it’s like any other start. You go to put your cup of noodles into the microwave, what do you press? Start. You go to get in your car, what do you do? Start it up…bro, I’m a vet. I also have a Vette.”
While Birdman may not publicly acknowledge the importance of this change, his start against the Washington Wizards on Friday night was one of his most active games this year. Totaling 7 points and 5 rebounds (plus a blocked shot), Andersen gave the Heat the defensive presence they need.
So, will you all be watching this matchup on Christmas day? If so, sound off about what you are looking forward to most from seeing these two rivals compete, below!