The Heat Took Steps Not to Boil Over
~ Amy Lignor
Although it was a shocker to everyone that LeBron James was being so lovingly accepted back into the arms of his old team who literally had his face on urinal floor mats at one time – it was even harder to bear for the Miami Heat. They were not only surprised, they were literally boiling over in the Florida sunshine.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall when the executives manning the Heat helm got together, brewed the coffee (or, perhaps opened the whiskey), and began strategizing on just how they would rejuvenate or at least hold together the team with LeBron saying adios.
Chris Bosh, apparently, was the first call into the slightly frightened bigwigs. From Ghana, Chris allowed them to heave a sigh of relief by telling them that he wanted to stay in the Sunshine State. Thankfully, for the coffee and/or whiskey laden execs, Chris was not the only one to save the day. What looked like an old Las Vegas hotel on the strip being blown to pieces with each floor coming down in a clump of dirt, the Heat was given a stay of execution as others appeared.
Dwyane Wade is a stay, as well as Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers. As far as Chris Andersen was concerned, the Heat knew he was still in their corner when he tipped his hat to others and agreed to re-sign. Let’s not forget the fact that Luol Deng, Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger, came on board. So…how many basketball players DOES it take to make LeBron James an unnecessary factor for the Miami Heat to be successful? Well…it would be ironic if Cleveland doesn’t get the star that James certainly is now, and somehow the curse that befell his ego when he was on the Cavaliers once before reappears like a Harry Potter character and takes him over once again. …You never know.
There are articles being written regarding the ‘Life After LeBron’ segment of the Miami Heat lifetime. However, they certainly have enough staying power to not be the worst this upcoming season, even without the magic man. It is also an interesting note that when it comes to the Eastern Conference, there is not exactly a star in the bunch, which means the Heat has just as much chance as anyone else to reach the pinnacle of success. They are not betting on one any longer to get them there – they are betting on a team.
Everything happens for a reason. It was not like the Heat had a chance to keep the man who everyone seems to think walks on water (although in the barrooms of Cleveland something tells me the jury is still out on whether or not they will be cheering or jeering, bringing out the urinal mats once again). But when it comes to James leaving and heading to Cleveland, the Heat need not worry that they made a misstep. LeBron wanted to go back. He had been speaking with his inner circle and was already on the Cleveland side. What would he have done if Miami had won instead of lost Game 1 this past season…chances are, he still would have walked away…a champion, yet again, but still walked away.
Looking into the past, it is true that the Cavaliers watched their losses mount after James left them once upon a time, but Miami will not have that problem. In fact, this may just be the adrenaline shot Miami needs to change and bring about a new breath of fresh air to their game playing.
Will LeBron be missed? Sure. But look at the NFL. Montana was certainly missed in San Francisco when Young took over. But everything there worked out just fine – including landing yet another Super Bowl ring. (And now Kap with his ridiculously high contract must fill those QB shoes and bring about a new dynasty). So before everyone tosses in the towel on Miami, remember that new faces and a change of pace can most definitely spell a brand new victory!
