If you were looking for a season built for the Miami Heat and their famous culture to thrive, it would be this one. They’re built for adversity.
There has never been an NBA season like this one, and there may never be another. The league had to go on a hiatus in March due to the coronavirus outbreak, returning in July to a quarantined location in Orlando to finish out the 2019-2020 campaign.
It’s tested players, being inside the bubble. Which is why some are calling it the toughest championship to have been played (and won) in recent history. But the Miami Heat, well they’re built for these situations, with strength at the core from the top to bottom of this organization.
That’s what’s made Jimmy Butler such a good fit for this team. It’s what’s seen Tyler Herro make a second-year leap in what is still his rookie season. This team is home to a number of veterans and younger guys who are all looking to shed the chip on their shoulders.
So a few months-long break, and a quarantined finish with no family to make that happen? No one in the locker room likely even flinched at the idea. And none of the other 29 NBA teams may have handled the season’s refinement better than the Miami Heat.
But that’s just what they do, and it’s another reason they’re in the NBA Finals.
The Miami Heat will look to put the cherry on top of an already sweet season in these NBA Finals, that starts on Wednesday night in Game One.
Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 pm EST, and TV coverage will be provided by ABC.