“Trading Baskets” is a weekly NBA column written by Reagan Griffin Jr. and Eddie Sun. The writers “hand off” each week’s installment, continuing an ongoing dialogue to challenge the way fans think about basketball. Click here to read last week’s edition.
As much as Eddie and I disagree, I must say, he was absolutely right last week. Like my old track and field coach used to tell me, “Reagan, you can’t just fall in love with winning. That will only take you so far. You have to fall in love with the process of winning.”
The Clippers attempted to cheat the process, and became the biggest flop in NBA history. Sure we’ve seen the 2012-13 Lakers and the 2015-16 Warriors, but never has a team had the stars so perfectly aligned to win a championship and fallen so embarrassingly short.
But I’m not here to talk about Kawhi Leonard and Co. — their time in the bubble is over. What I want to address is the team that is the antithesis of the Los Angeles Clippers: The Miami Heat.
When Jimmy Butler did the dash from the City of Brotherly Love, many people questioned his commitment to being in championship contention. Why, many questioned, would he leave a team featuring All-Star caliber talent like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons for a team that went sub-.500 and missed the playoffs?
Two words: The culture.
Throughout the course of his career, Butler has been a polarizing figuring. An immensely talented two-way wing, no one could deny his ability. But, after controversial stops in Chicago, Minnesota and Philadelphia, many began to question whether or not Jimmy Buckets was good for a locker room.
He was too overbearing, too demanding of his teammates. He asked them to sacrifice too much, made them too uncomfortable. His will to win was so great that it hindered his ability to do so — or so people thought. People who don’t know what it takes to be truly great.
Pat Riley is not one of those people. He and Erik Spoelstra are known for demanding the most of their teams, even pushing LeBron James to his limits while he was in town.
On his team philosophy, Riley has said, “The most difficult thing for individuals to do when they’re part of the team is to sacrifice. It’s so easy to become selfish in a team environment … Willing sacrifice is the great paradox. You must give up something in the immediate present — comfort, ease, recognition, quick rewards — to attract something even better in the future: A full heart and sense that you did something which counted.”
Sound familiar?
Jimmy Butler was never the problem. Rather, the environments he was placed in were. Chicago and Minnesota were teams that weren’t quite ready to compete for championships, featuring a lot of young talent who still needed grooming. Philadelphia, even with all its talent, lacked the cohesion necessary to usurp the East’s best. Butler needed a place that had both the talent and mentality to match his aspirations. And he found that place in Miami.
From a talent standpoint, it was a bit of a risk for Butler. The potential was there, but the majority of it was unproven: Bam Adebayo hadn’t played starters minutes, Tyler Herro was a rookie and Duncan Robinson had yet to weaponize his 3-point shot to the extent that we’ve seen over the past season. But for what this team lacked in experience, it made up for in tenacity and heart. They want it, by any means necessary.
Over the course of the season, they proved to be everything that the Los Angeles Clippers weren’t — gritty, driven, humble and willing to put in the work that it takes to become a great team. They had no hierarchy, no sense of superiority. Every single player on the roster, from All-Star to pine-rider had the autonomy to challenge anyone else to be better.
They cultivated a camaraderie that allowed them to love and trust each other, on and off the court. They do the little things, every workout, every practice and every game, not for show, but for pride. Diving on loose balls. Closing out on shooters. Boxing out on rebounds. Sprinting back on fastbreaks. Maintaining discipline on the defensive end, something that was particularly pivotal when they stood toe-to-toe with the Greek Freak in the second round of the playoffs. To put it simply, they care.
Now, we’re witnessing that effort pay dividends. The Heat have made it farther than just about anyone thought they would, going 11-2 in these playoffs and putting themselves one game away from playing in the NBA Finals for the first time since James left. And if we’re being honest, they really shouldn’t be here. Against all odds, the Miami Heat have used the power of the process to elevate themselves to a level that few could have predicted.
This team is a living testament to the power of falling in love with the process of winning.
“Trading Baskets” runs every Friday.