The Miami Heat are rolling along, fresh off a pair of victories over two of the NBA’s most lauded and historical franchises, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers.
While they, honestly, dominated across both the contests, they would allow the team from Tinseltown to actually make it a game in the end. Though they would allow the purple and gold to make a comeback, the same could not be said for Wednesday night.
They utterly dominated the New York Knicks. In a wire-to-wire win against the team that resides in the Mecca Of Basketball, though this one was played in the lovely confines of Miami’s FTX Arena, the Miami Heat made it seem as though the Knicks didn’t even deserve to be on the same court with them.
It drew this criticism from former legendary Knicks headman and current NBA broadcaster, Jeff Van Gundy.
Jeff Van Gundy is on 🔥 in the first quarter of this broadcast. “I’d take the Out all the Knicks starters” “gotta find guys who love basketball and weed out the frauds” He is the best!!!!
— John Jastremski (@john_jastremski) January 27, 2022
Speaking of former guys for certain franchises though, two former Miami Heat champions had an exchange between both of the aforementioned games.
The Miami Heat have dealt with as many absences and adverse situations as any team in the league this year. They still, however, find themselves in first.
The Heat weren’t actually playing, but on Tuesday night and as a part of NBA On TNT’s broadcast, there was an interesting exchange between the greatest Miami Heat player of all time, Dwyane Wade, and the most dominant player and big man of all time, Shaquille O’Neal.
In a scenario talking about the game they were covering, Brooklyn against the Lakers, Shaq proceeded to say that you couldn’t judge either team, as they hadn’t been at full strength. That is when Flash made all of the Miami Heat faithful proud.
Here was his response to The Diesel’s proclamation.
"Wait Shaq, but what does that mean?“We can’t judge them because they’re not a full-strength”, like the Miami Heat ain’t been at full strength all year. And they are first place (a sentiment helped along by co-host, Adam Lefkoe)."
Shaq could only respond with “it’s not my saying, sir”. Quite the hilarious exchange.
You aren’t, so much, knocking Shaq here, as he tends to keep it real and show the Miami Heat their just due when he has the opportunity. It’s more about someone finally keeping it real.
It seems a bit homerish, admittedly so and because it’s Flash, however, right is right. For all year long and for what seems like a very long time, when the Miami Heat lose or aren’t up to par, they are just bad or aren’t good enough.
When other teams are fluttering or sputtering to do what they have been projected to do, it’s something else.
It doesn’t make sense and D.Wade spoke on the hypocrisy. For him, roster ‘strength’ just isn’t a good excuse, especially when the Miami Heat have overcome all year long.
Way to speak up 3!