The Miami Heat were beaten in the NBA Finals, this is true. Even in defeat though, the Culture still wins and prevails.
The Miami Heat were beaten in the NBA Finals. We had to, once again, get that out of the way.
With that notion somewhat behind us though, although not nearly gotten over, it is now fair to start considering the other side of what that defeat meant. While they didn’t bring home the hardware, the ultimate goal of a fourth Larry O’Brien Trophy for the Miami Heat franchise, they did get some things accomplished.
At the top of the year, in the offseason even, many said that the Miami Heat would merely be a team struggling to make the playoffs. After the Jimmy Butler deal was announced, they said that he made them no better than a middling to lower playoff team.
Although we have long had our last laugh, after they beat almost anyone put before them, this is only right. To those notions, I say a big fat “ha”, followed by a sincere “ha… ha”.
The Miami Heat didn’t win the big one this year, but their Culture will always prevail.
There are also those who choose to question if “a” or “the culture” even exists or speak of it as if though it isn’t or wasn’t actually a real thing. This also pairs well with the notions that after Game 1 of the NBA Finals, a drubbing at the hands of LA, that the Miami Heat would lay down and allow a sweep.
To both of those notions, I call another set of fibbery. Not only is the Miami Heat Culture a very real and tangible thing, but it is the very thing that allowed them to come out and show the guts that they did in those games that they won.
Undermanned, outgunned, and outsized, the Miami Heat fought every single night. Without two of their best players for much of the series, they were almost able to push the second greatest player to ever play the game and his top five in the league teammate to a Game 7.
Almost only counts in horseshoes and grenades, I am aware but after such low expectations, their accomplishments have to account for something. Here’s the thing though.
We don’t really care if you acknowledge it or not. We don’t care if you accept it.
Frankly, we don’t care if you flat-out dislike the Miami Heat. The fact remains though and the one thing that we do care about is this.
You will respect the Miami Heat. They have earned as much.
If you don’t think so, wait until they face your favorite little team in this coming season and we can chat it up afterward. That’s just the truth.
No team will out-tough, out-heart, out-effort, or out-hustle the Miami Heat. It’s always been that way and it always will.
It is for these reasons, that even though they were defeated on the biggest stage in the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat Culture still prevails.