Tag Archives: Miami Heat

How Much Better Can the Miami Heat Get?

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Since their recent NBA championship last month, the Miami Heat have gone from the “Big Three,” to the “Big Five” with last Wednesday’s signing of veteran guard Ray Allen (a future hall-of-famer) and forward Rashard Lewis (a former all-star).  Allen rejected the Celtics two-year deal worth twelve million and accepted the Heat’s three-year deal of nine million.  Similarly, Lewis was traded from Washington to New Orleans (who wrote him a 13.7 million dollar amnesty check to never play for the franchise), and then signed as a free agent by the Heat for two years worth 2.8 million.  Although Allen and Lewis are near the end of their sixteen (Allen) and fourteen (Lewis) year NBA careers, the Heat are bringing back EVERY piece of their championship puzzle next season. 

Barring any dramatic setback with Dwayne Wade (presently recovering from his knee surgery last week) and LeBron James (who is playing in the Summer Olympics), the Heat have a very legitimate chance to repeat as NBA champions.  With Allen and Lewis both signed for multi-year deals a dynasty could be in the making and the NBA could have its first three-peat champion since the Los Angeles Lakers did it in 2002.

The move by the Heat is similar to what the 2003-04 Lakers did, who added Karl Malone and Gary Payton to their roster prior to the season.  The two vets helped lead them to the NBA Finals before losing to the Detroit Pistons in five games.  The Lakers that season had two great superstars in Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.  The Heat in comparison have three quality superstars in LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.  Malone was in the final season of his nineteen year career and came up short on trying to win an NBA championship.  Payton  played three more seasons after his one with the Lakers and won his championship ring with the Miami Heat in 2006. 

Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen likely will not start for the Heat this coming season as Mario Chalmers and, possibly, Shane Battier (if the Heat go small) will likely get the nod since they are a bit younger.  If Eric Spoelstra thought his every move was dissected last season, he’ll be under the microscope even more with the addition of these two former all-stars.  Anything less than a sixty-win season and an NBA championship will be disappointing to Heat fans in South Florida. 

It’s encouraging to see professional athletes like Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis accepting lesser roles and money to play for a championship team.  And I’m not sure why players get a bad rap for taking less money to win these days. Why is it acceptable to stage a holdout and demand more money or a trade, but less acceptable to go to a good team for less money? Isn’t winning what it’s all about?  With Allen already having one ring, look for his experience and leadership to help lead the Heat to another title run deep into June.  If the Heat can stay injury free, I think the superstars in Miami are on the verge of a dynasty that we haven’t seen in, oh, about fifteen years or so.

By: Craig Emmert

LeBron, D-Wade, Bosh and the Heat Party ’til the Break of Dawn at Miami’s Hottest Club

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Last night, LeBron & Co. celebrated their NBA championship at the hottest club in Miami (and maybe the world), LIV nightclub at the Fountainebleau Hotel. Let me tell you, that place is pretty awesome. I can only imagine how crazy it was with LeBron popping $75,000 bottles of champagne (Ace of Spades) and rapping with LMFAO. Just driving the streets of Miami after the game was wild. For some reason, Miamians like to beat pots and pans while riding up and down Biscayne Boulevard in the back of trucks. It actually reminds me a little of my days living in Kentucky–minus the ocean view of course. Anyway, check out the party at LIV that lasted until about 6:00 AM this morning.

Worth the Wait: After 30 Years of Basketball, Juwan Howard Finally Gets a Championship

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While everyone has been focused on the ‘Big 3’ of the Heat and Thunder during these 2012 NBA finals (deservingly so, there have been some true ESPN Classics so far, Westbrook in game 4, Lebron in game 2), I can’t help but notice Juwan Howard riding the pine right into a championship ring.

Let me first say that I have always liked Juwan Howard.  During the 1991-92 NCAA men’s basketball season I was just starting to care about basketball and have always had a soft spot for any member of the Fab Five, with the exception of Jimmy King, who I always forget for some reason.

Now, 20 years later after losing to Duke in the NCAA championship, and 19 years after Chris Webber’s ill fated time-out gifted Dean Smith’s North Carolina Tar Heels the victory in the final game, Howard got his ring.  It is amazing to think that Howard entered the NBA in the 1994-95 season, and is now, at age 39, in his 18th NBA season.  Howard is the only member of the Fab Five to win an NBA championship.

After coming so close in college and 18 years in the NBA, Juwan Howard (center) finally got his championship.

Despite being around for so long, Howard is currently 3rd on the oldest active players list, behind Kurt Thomas (39 years, 260 days) and Grant Hill (39 years, 259 days).  For those of you keeping score, the oldest player ever was Nat Hickey, who during the 1947-48 was coaching the Providence Steamrollers and activated himself for one game, during which Hickey attempted 6 shots, missed them all, and committed 5 personal fouls, stats which confirm to me what I have always believed, that I could play in the NBA.

Howard, however, won his first championship last night despite playing just 21 minutes this postseason.  Robert Parish, at 43, is the oldest player to have won and NBA championship, working with Michael Jordan to win the 1996-97 finals, but at that point he had already won 3 NBA titles with the Boston Celtics in during the 1980’s.

It appears that the longest wait for an NBA title ended last year, when Jason Kidd, rookie of the year in Howard’s 1994-95 rookie class, won an N.B.A. title with the Dallas Mavericks.  Some might argue, and they would be irreproachably correct, that Kidd contributed more to Dallas’ victory than Howard will have contributed towards Miami’s, but the bottom line remains that after 30 or so years of playing ball, Howard finally got his ring this year.

Many other players have tried to join up with championship caliber teams (I’m looking at you Gary Payton and Karl Malone) in order to get that elusive ring but Howard brilliantly saw the writing on the wall when Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh came together and will now reap the rewards of a cunning move to land himself an NBA championship.  And the best part about that lack of playing time: no need to hit the showers after the game, just get dressed and go out like a champion.

By: Ryan Moore

Hot Links: Boxing makes bookies sick, Dolphins sign Ochocinco for publicity, Euro 2012 fans are racist

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There’s a lot going on in sports right now with the Euro 2012 tournament, the Heat and Thunder in the NBA Finals, and some big name boxers making noise. Here are some of the more interesting stories in sports from the past week. 

Win this Nike LeBron “Epic” Shirt by Being the 20th Person to Like us on Facebook

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The 20th person to “like” WhereToWatch on Facebook will win this Nike “Epic” LeBron Shirt.  The shirt is only given out at Heat playoffs games and has the Miami Heat logo on the back. Hurry up and like us on Facebook before it’s too late!

Update: As of Monday evening, the shirt is still available. Still time to like us and win it. Less than 5 likes to go! One of the next five people to like us will win it!

Win this Nike Epic LeBron shirt by liking us on Facebook!