Five Questions about the Miami Heat

I have been a Miami Heat fan since they drafted UNLV Centre George Ackles with the 28th pick of the 1991 Draft. Though furious George never played, I bought a hat and the custom made shirt, so I figured I would stick with them.

On June 20th, 2006, after a seemingly endless string of exceptionally crappy teams, the Miami Heat finally captured the title that I have been rooting for three eons. I will admit that my love for them had died when Zo left the first time, and my revolving allegiances for the Bulls, Lakers and Knicks often ran at odds with my love for the Heat (and each other). I have always cheered for players in the NBA- and when O’neal was traded, I started to hate the Lakers and fell in love with the Heat again.

So, Is Shaquille O’neal the most dominating centre to play the game?

While you can’t compare across generations for obvious reasons, I think we can conclude that if the league changes several rules as a result of you, and other teams resort to specific defensive strategies because of you, the impact that you have had on the game is significant.

People lament Shaq’s inability to hit free throws as a defining characteristic as to why he isn’t great. Two words: Wilt Chamberlain. I understand why people think that the inability to do something so important is career limiting. Gretzky couldn’t play defense either.

Shaq is bigger, stronger, scarier and just plain better than every other centre in the league, and he has been for a long time. Unlike Chamberlain, Shaq plays against people who were taller then 6-9. Shaq changes every game he enters. He force fed the title to Kobe for three years in LA and came to a new team and won a title in two years. Two years. When the Lakers pinned their future on Kobe- that was a wise move, wasn’t it?

Shaq is dominating the NBA in a league with players bigger than him in it. Wilt never had to do that. Shaq is dominating on both defense and offense. Bill Russell wasn’t. Ewing never did win, Robinson had Duncan, Baylor had West and Wilt, Hakeem Olajuwon won his titles in the NBA’s asterisk years (Jordan’s Baseball years) but did beat a 14 year old Shaq in one of his finals. In my opinion, the only person you can compare fairly to Shaq is Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabar) who did it for two teams on both ends. The all time leader in points. Pretty elite company, even if Kareem played in the 70s and 80s when there were not many other seven footers. They certainly didn’t have “hack a kareem.” That baby hook would be in the fifth row in today's NBA.

I am sure they will say the same about Shaq in twenty years when every team as a 7.6 footer on their team.

Is Dwayne Wade going to be the greatest of all time?

Two more words- Michael Jordan. Win six rings on your own and then we will talk. There is no doubt that Flash is currently set to be the next great one given the exposure to big games that he has already had in his young career. Luckily, he will have Kobe and Lebron to compete with for a decade to show how great he is. Russell had Wilt. Magic Had Bird. Jordan had Barkley, Malone, Ewing, Thomas, Magic, Bird, Shaq, Miller and the Chicago White Sox organization. I think he still holds the edge…

While D-Wade was certainly the best player on his team in the finals, and was certainly it’s most valuable, without Shaq he would not have come as far as fast, and without Shaq he would not have won the title. He is still in Scottie Pippen world.

Is Alonzo Mourning the most inspiring athlete of all time?

Yes. This mother fucker is crazy. Less than two years ago, Zo had one of his kidney’s transplanted and had focal glomerulosclerosis. He was traded four times, and after rightfully refusing to go to Toronto (the graveyard for washed up superstars) he landed back on his old team, which had become Shaq’s team. When the heat were up 20 in his first come back game, the ref had to stop the game because the chants for “Zo” were so loud that no one could hear the whistle. Zo got into the game, blocked a shot and the place went bananas.

I saw him practice a few months ago. He was the first on the floor and the last to leave it. His biceps are bigger than my legs. He blocks people’s heads when he misses their shots.

When he retires tomorrow (and now that he has a ring, he has no reason to keep going except the fact that he is crazy), he will retire as probably the most menacing defensive presence in the league.

When he was first drafted by Charlotte, he was forced to play centre because they already had a power forward named Larry Johnson (another UNLV alum, of whom I was a big fan). It wasn’t until he moved onto Miami that he really became the first option, but he never got to be the power forward he was designed to be. I believe that if Zo had played power-forward like he did at Georgetown behind Dikembe Mutombo (seriously, he has played for every team) he would have had a career that rivaled Karl Malone’s. Except this way, he has a ring, something the Mailman never got. I love Alonzo Mourning even though he played for New Jersey.

Will the Heat repeat?

Not a chance in hell. While they are very old, they will have too many people gone. I am not entirely convinced that Shaq will even be back. Gary Payton and Zo are gone for sure, and the long list of goofs that they have on their bench does not a championship team make. However, in terms of free agency draws, the chance to play with D-wade and Shaq has to make them pretty attractive.

Are the Heat a team for the ages?

Sadly, no. They won two series against two better teams. It is likely that they will have four hall of famers (Shaq, Zo, GP and D-wade) while the teams they beat will not, but this was not a team. When they were bad, my Saturday afternoon golf group could have given them a legitimate run. They are, however, the professional sports team that I have loved the most and have followed the most intensely in years. I will miss them.