I remember when I was six years old, sitting in the same living room I am now watching the 2020 NBA finals.
On that floor of my parent’s home was a young TK scrolling through the various TV stations. I stopped on ESPN watching various sports highlights when I popped a question to my Dad.
“Dad, who do we cheer for in basketball?”
I was already a Yankees and Dolphins fan by inheritance, but my father, who does not watch NBA or NHL regularly, told me to pick any team that I desired, as he did not have a favorite. So little TK did what any little person does, he scrolled through the channels, looking for a team to hang his fandom on. And to this day, I still remember the moment I become a Heat fan. As I was scrolling through those channels, I saw Dwyane Wade make a tough and-1 layup while the rest of the Miami Heat surrounded their star player and helped Wade up to his feet.
Now as I watch fans who were Heat fans six years ago celebrate “their” teams championship as the Lakers finally overcome Miami in Game 6, I remember why I loved the Heat in the first place. I fell in love with Miami because of the culture the Heat have. The Miami culture is about hustle, work ethic, and a team mindset. And with those three assets, the Heat were able to take an undervalued and young team to the championship.
In a year when the world has to overcome the tough hand it has been given, this year’s Miami Heat have also had to overcome the tough hand they’ve been given. In an unmatched run to the Finals, they first had to overcome the Pacers, doing so in a sweep. Everyone counted them out when faced the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, then also when they faced the Celtics in the ECF. Over and over again, the Miami Heat have been counted out, while over and over again, the Heat have overcome the road in front of them to reach the Finals.
But sometimes, the hero of the story doesn’t always reach his goal. Sometimes, the hero gives his all, but runs into a villain with too many pieces around him to overcome. And as I watch the Miami Heat lose to the “villain with too many pieces” in these Finals, I can’t help but feel proud of these heroes. They overcame a lot of the basketball court to force a Game 6, and they taught me a lot about 2020. Whatever obstacles are in our path, whatever superstar villains step in our way, we can give everything we have to face the obstacles, and in doing so, become legends in our own narratives.
So, even though the Heat won’t be raising the championship, I want to say thank you Miami. You taught me a lot about overcoming obstacles in my own life, and you make me damn proud. 🙂
-TK
This article was written by TK. To contact TK, email digitalzsports@gmail.com