Image via Complex Original
Over the course of the past three years there have been little to no sports storylines as captivating as the inception, onset, present, and future of the current Miami Heat squad. We've seen them face ridiculous amounts of criticism as they went through ups and downs as a team. After a Game 7 victory over the Indiana Pacers in the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals, they face off with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals Thursday night for a shot at history.
They've been hated on for their team's structure, coach Erik Spoelstra's skill level, whether or not they have real fans, and of course the never ending LeBron vs. MJ argument. We can't allow so much unnecessary hate go on without some shots fired back. Here are The 10 Dumbest Reasons Why People Still Hate on the Miami Heat.
"They ruined the NBA!"
One of the most ridiculous arguments that has ever been used against Miami and the "Big Three" movement is that it has a negative effect on the league as a whole. This couldn't be further from the truth. Since they joined forces in South Beach, the NBA has been far more interesting and teams across the league have become more competitive by trying to keep up and forming teams to beat them. Ratings for the LeBron-led Cavs vs. Spurs Finals series back in 2007 had a Nielson rating of 6.2 (a record low for the NBA Finals). The last two Finals featuring the Heat have put up ratings of 10.2 and 10.1, respectively. The only Finals not hosted by the Lakers that have garnered ratings 10+ since 2000 have featured Miami.
There's been more drama and storylines that have truly made the NBA worthwhile again and you have to give the nod to Miami for ushering in this new era.
"It's still cool to hate on them."
We have to admit, even Skip Bayless isn't as tough on Miami and LeBron as he used to be. It's still the consensus, however, that anybody who's anybody just has to root against the Heat. Take Lil Wayne's All-Star outburst, Jason Terry's trash talk before his christening, and even Lance Stephenson's most recent "feeling froggy" moments like the choke sign and blowing in 'Bron's ear.
Everyone still loves to take shots at the Heat because they're the NBA's shining punching bag. Why that's the case after three straight Finals appearances, an MVP who has looked nothing short of dominant throughout the season, and the addition of pieces that make them that much better? Who knows?
"They have the worst fanbase."
Here's one everbody hears about all the time, "Miami has the worst fans, they don't even show up till the second quarter and leave before it's over!" Granted that actually is the case some of the time, let's breakdown why that's such a horrible reason to hate on them.
LeBron and D-Wade aren't the ones in the stands, they're on the court making some of the best players in the world look foolish. Should the fans show better support? Without a doubt. Is that any reason to harbor anything against the team? Not at all. If anything, it should make you root for those guys for not getting the fans they deserve.
"Chris Bosh is still soft."
Champagne showers aside, Chris Bosh is just an all-around captivating dude. As one of the most talked about athletes online, questions about his toughness and his role on the Heat have followed the big man since his decision to come to Miami. Let's keep it funky, Chris Bosh isn't making any All-Dark Alley squads nor is he a top 5 player, but is he soft though? That's a more debatable question.
Bosh has arguably been more consistent than D-Wade in the playoffs for Miami, which included him fighting back from an injury last year to help them get their ring and a respectable Finals showing the year before. To say he's "soft" would just be ill informed and more often than not the comments are fueled by hate for the team rather than actual on-court observations.
"Miami's team structure is flawed."
How many times have you heard someone say "the Heat don't have anyone except the Big Three!"? Or that they don't have a legit center, or that most of their bench is composed of three-point shooters who can do little more than just that? So called "true" NBA fans have been disgusted at the Heat's seemingly flawed team that somehow still manages to consistently beat teams with traditional squads.
LeBron James skill set fundamentally changed the NBA. Using him as a point forward in a small lineup allows for more flexibility on offense and and more quickness on defense. In a league where there are only a handful of elite centers walking around, Miami seems to have discovered a formula that just flat out works. It's hard to go against that.
"Erik Spoelstra can't coach!"
When the news hit that LeBron, D-Wade, and Bosh would join forces in Miami one of the biggest questions going into the season was what young Erik Spoelstra would be able to do with his newly acquired talent. There have been comments about him not being able to command respect from his players after both the 'Bron bump and the D-Wade shouting match. What a lot of people fail to realize though, is that being the Heat coach is not as easy as it looks. Spoelstra had two superstars who essentially had the same game, a big man with a diminished role and a hodge podge group of vets and young guys to round out the team.
He took that group and went small by moving Bosh to the 5 and surround his trio of stars with three-point shooters. We'd even argue that he out-coached Scott Brooks in the Finals last year when he made adjustments on defense for Harden and Serge Ibaka that proved to be pivotal in their win. He also bagged himself a hot former Heat dancer and hasn't stopped smiling since.
"Dwyane Wade is no longer elite."
Now this one has definitely been something screamed from the mouths of Heat haters throughout the past year. According to them, D-Wade is no longer what he once was, a shell of himself. While it's true Wade has not been playing the way we have been accustomed to, we put the blame on nagging injuries rather than diminished skills.
He clearly isn't at 100 percent physically and it's evident that the lack of lift and endurance at times is making him look like he's closer to retiring than he should be. After this season and some free time to get right physically, we fully expect a much improved D-Wade going into next year. He'll never be what he use to be, but he still shows up big in the biggest games. If you need a memory refresher peep his 41 point and 10 rebound performance in Game 6 of the second round vs. Indiana. Or even his 21 point and nine rebound performance the other night in Game 7.
"They turn it on and off."
When you have a great team that has the ultimate goal of winning a championship, there are undoubtedly going to be let downs with fits of lost focus throughout the rigorous season. Heat critics have long suggested that one of their biggest flaws is that they turn it on and off which has led to them coming up short against inferior teams.
They lose to the Wizards but then blow out the Spurs which drives people crazy. Why do we think it's not such a big deal? The Heat turn it on when it counts. They're not the favorite in the playoffs by a mile for no reason. They've been there twice already and are on their way to a third, who's to say they'll stop now with an arguably better team? They learned their lesson in 2011 against the Mavs.
"They stole Ray Allen."
Jesus Shuttlesworth chose South Beach over his incumbent Boston Celtics, and haters across the country can't stand it. Ray Allen took less money to leave Boston in order to a three-point specialist for the defending champs. When you think about it though, outside of money, can you find one good reason why Allen shouldn't have left?
He went to a better team, where he has a better role, and gets to hangout in Miami on his off days. Not to mention the fact that Allen and Rondo weren't on the best of terms, the Celts were in talks to trade Allen numerous times and Allen has made plenty of money as a pro. Every hater that was pissed at this move would have made the same move in half the time it took Allen to.
"LeBron isn't as Good as MJ."
You always know you're losing an argument when you bring up an imaginary point your opponent could have made and debate that instead. This here is just that. LeBron has taken his game to the next level over the past two seasons, winning MVPs, his first title, and a Gold medal. The comparison to Michael Jordan has been made and argued to death by Heat critics.
Regardless of how well James is playing, for some reason it just has to be noted by many that he isn't as good as MJ. Why does it have to even go there? Did LeBron proclaim himself to be better than MJ? If we remember it correctly, didn't he change his number because he felt that essentially nobody was worthy of Jordan? We can't compare him to anyone else in the league right now, so we have to put him up against one of the greatest athletes ever and it just isn't fair. Let LeBron play out his career and then we can debate this when he retires and buys the Cavs.