Turning up the Heat: A trip down Miami memory lane

Welcome to a special edition of Turning up the Heat.

For as long as I can remember, the game of basketball has brought me many memories. So, in honor of my 21st birthday, I thought it’d be a neat idea to collect all of my thoughts and manifest them in a positive manner.

(Somewhat. Well, mostly.)

Before completely removing bias from my perspective, I was a Miami Heat fan.

During my early years, I admit, I was no basketball fan. My focus was always on football. In fact, it was the game I actually grew up playing. I didn’t begin playing basketball until eighth grade, eventually it turning into my favorite sport.

My first memory of NBA basketball came by accident, on June 13, 2006 in my grandfather’s living room. I had a basic knowledge level at the time, but only due to constantly playing NBA Street Vol. 2.

It was the NBA Finals on ABC in Miami. The Heat were taking on the Dallas Mavericks, who were up 2-0 in the series at that point.

The Heat were down by 13 I believe, and I felt all hope for that team was lost. But some guy wearing No. 3 was in the midst of dropping 42 points and 13 rebounds, and succeeded in bringing his team all the way back from what seemed like an insurmountable deficit.

I didn’t watch another game that series though, and scarcely paid attention to professional basketball for a number of years due to personal issues, including 2008-09 when Wade led the league in scoring.

It was when LeBron James and Chris Bosh took their talents to South Beach, that my fortunes turned. From that point forward, whenever a game was on, my eyes were glued to the television. I couldn’t stop, and after awhile, it became an addiction.

That’s what has drove me to be where I am now. And in honor of my 21st year on this planet, below are both my most memorable celebration and heartbreak during my days of fandom.

Memorable: 2013 NBA Finals

I mean, how could it not be? Is there any other moment other than James’ tour-de-force Game 6 in Boston, that amounts to this?

But my choice was based on more factors than that. This series, which spanned about two weeks, was an absolute roller coaster ride, and took to me to incredible highs, as well as gut-wrenching lows.

From Tony Parker’s game-sealing floater in Game 1, to James’ series clinching 17-footer with under 30 seconds remaining in Game 7, I remember where I was and how I was feeling.

I remember the rush of adrenaline and jubilation I felt, after the Heat used a big second half run to put away San Antonio in Game 2. Then, I remember getting blown out by 36 points at the AT&T Center in front of a raucous home crowd a few days later.

Then came Game 4, and this was one of the more memorable ones. Down 2-1 with two games in Texas remaining, the Heat were in a must-win situation. Going down 3-1 against a red-hot team with one game remaining on its home floor, does not make for an ideal scenario.

It felt like fortunes were heading in that direction early, as the Spurs built an early 10-point lead, while Miami seemed to be reeling. Then Wade, who had logged just 43 total points during the first three games, had looked gassed and had hampered knee injuries, came alive.

Up until that point, many critics were pointing the finger at him for Miami’s 2-1 hole, and slight comparison’s to James’ first tenure in Cleveland (where he had little assistance), were beginning to arise.

His final stat-line was unforgettable, and his impact in the fourth quarter was reminiscent of his days as a young slasher; 32 points, six rebounds, six steals and four assists in nearly 40 minutes. He shot 14-for-25 from the floor and made whomever tried to defend him during the fourth quarter look foolish, as the Heat evened the series at 2.

Game 5 brought more emotional lows as Manu Ginobili, who had been disastrous throughout the first four games, was inserted into the starting lineup for the biggest game of the season. He scored 25 points and led San Antonio to a crucial victory at home, giving them a 3-2 series lead heading back to Miami.

That’s when this series became one for the ages, and I’m fairly certain that any NBA fan will know what you mean when you say Heat-Spurs Game 6.

My focus has always been in the final quarter, where I feel this game was at its best.

The Spurs had a 10-point lead heading into the fourth, and seemed well on their way to hoisting another Larry O’Brien trophy in the Gregg Poppovich-Tim Duncan era.

But then the Heat slowly began chipping away, and before you knew it, they had a three-point lead with two minutes remaining. Then Parker broke down James, sized him up and shot a step-back 3 over the back-to-back MVP’s outretched arms.

Bottom, and my gut immediately went to my feet. Not this, not now. The Heat proceeded to miss on the other end, and Parker came back down and hit a floater in the lane to give the Spurs a two-point lead.

I can’t begin to describe the emotions that were overcoming me. On one hand, I was angry. How could this happen? Why now? Was last year a fluke? Then James turned it over, and Ginobili connected on both. There’s still a prayer, right?

Another turnover followed, and that’s when I called it quits. Ginobili split the pair while my head was buried in a couch pillow that was sitting in my lap. Being down by five in a potential closeout game with under 30 seconds left isn’t exactly encouraging.

Out of the timeout, James knocked down a 3 off of a Mike Miller rebound from his own miss just prior. Okay, there’s some life. At this point, I had some faith, but it was waivering.

Then 21-year-old Kawhi Leonard steps to the free throw line. He had been superb in that game, but the pressure proved too much for him at that point, as he rimmed out the first before knocking down the second.

We all remember what happened next, and James followed that with a 37-point, 12-rebound masterpiece in Game 7, to clinch Miami’s second straight title and final of the Big Three era.

The pure joy that overcame my body following that Game 6 are only matched but the thrill of watching Joe Flacco’s 70-yard Hail Mary to Jacoby Jones during the AFC Divisional Playoff game in January 2013.

Worst: 2011 Finals meltdown

Need I explain why? I guess I’ll try, if the memories come back clearly.

Coming off of thrilling five-game victories over the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Heat were viewed as the heavy favorites heading into the championship series.

James had many memorable fourth-quarter performances against the Bulls, and was a shoe-in pick for NBA Finals MVP…wasn’t he?

Miami’s momentum carried over into Game 1, and James thrived on both ends. He finished the game with 24 points and hit four of five shots from beyond-the-arc as the Heat won at home and took a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2 came along, and I noticed several of the same patterns from the game before throughout the first three quarters. Despite James’ lack of aggression, Wade had taken the scoring reigns and was by far the best player on the floor. Following a corner 3 with just over six minutes remaining, Wade had totaled 36 points.

Dallas would go on to climb all the way back, using a 20-2 run to take a 93-90 lead. The Mavericks would go on to close them out and tie the series, and I can’t begin to express the anger I felt toward that team. I threw my pillows, punched my mattress and didn’t want to speak to anyone.

Although Game 3 helped wipe away some of that stress, it has never truly left. James had just 17 points in that game and hadn’t topped 25 in any of the first three contests.

Head-scratching. He hit his lowest point in Game 4, when he scored just eight points and looked severely distressed and uncomfortable throughout the game. It was mind-boggling. The best player in basketball against a team that had not one defender capable of checking him, couldn’t score, and he seemed hesitant to attack.

I couldn’t explain it then, and to this day I still can’t. His discomfort carried itself over into Game 5, when the Heat once again blew a fourth quarter lead, and James totaled just 17 points. I remember being particularly disgusted with that one, as I felt far too many were giving him credit for what I thought was the weakest triple-double in the history of the NBA Finals.

Would he bounce back in Game 6? With Miami down 3-2 and one loss away from a humiliating end to year one of this experiment?

After the first six minutes or so, it appeared so. James was 4-for-4 from the field and for a split second, I let myself believe he had finally turned the corner. Then I saw his face following that between-the-legs jumper, my hopes for the Heat to take home the title vanquished.

A look of confidence and swagger is not what I saw. I saw timidness and fear. I saw a player on the verge of a panic attack on the floor.

That didn’t mean I wasn’t cheering. Until the final buzzer, I was glued to the screen. But once the clock hit 0:00 and Mike Breen famously said “the Dallas Mavericks are NBA Champions, the first title in franchise history…” I wasn’t hearing any more.

I remember the painful images of Miami players heading to the locker room, and for a minute, we shared the same pain. I endured a year of grief upon returning to school in August, and although the Heat would go on to win the next two titles, it still didn’t stop the harshest critics.

I guess that’s what always struck me, and to this day, I can offer no explanation. Was anything this team did, going to be good enough? Could they ever truly live up to expectations? Two titles in four years says yes, but given the talent on the roster, some look at that as a failure.

Either way, I’m optimistic of what the future holds for this organization from a journalist’s standpoint. Despite not having a “true” superstar on its roster, the Heat continue to find ways to be competitive, especially in March-April.

Next: Miami Heat: Big man Hassan Whiteside's best moments of 2016-17

That’s what I’ve always appreciated the most.