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Posted by Sekou Smith
HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – Scoff all you want at the notion of the South Beach version of the Big 3.
One thing you can’t deny, though, is their star power.
The Miami Heat’s super trio of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh has turned the basketball world upside down months before anyone hits the floor for training camp this season. But they are paying immediate dividends for the franchise that won the free agent sweepstakes.
They’ve also sparked a ticket craze in Miami. In fact, you can’t even get a season ticket down there anymore.
The Heat suspended season ticket sales Thursday afternoon, before James even made his announcement that he would be joining Wade and Bosh.
Adam H. Beasely of the Miami Herald explains:
The sellout was the result of an intense two-day influx of interest that twice crashed the team’s website and jammed its phone lines.
Those trying to buy a season-ticket package through Heat.com Thursday afternoon were greeted with the message: “To purchase your HEAT Season Tickets, please call 786-777-HOOP (4667).”
But many who dialed the number were greeted with an automated response. Those fortunate to get someone on the line learned that just a handful of tickets still remained — at some $6,000 apiece. But as the day progressed, even those vanished.
While the season tickets are apparently gone, the entire season is not quite a sellout. The organization is holding back some single-game tickets for the public, but those will surely go just as fast — especially if James heads south.
The Heat declined to comment on the ticket situation Thursday.
The unprecedented crush began with Wednesday’s news that Wade and Bosh agreed to join forces in South Florida, and reached a fever pitch with speculation that James would complete the All-Star trio.
For anyone remotely familiar with the apathetic nature of the South Florida sports fan, this level of fervor is foreign, to say the least.
It’s been said more than once that Miami gets excited only for world-class events, and this has to qualify.
Last year, when the Heat went 47-35 and was quickly bounced by the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, the franchise ranked 15th and 16th in average attendance (17,730) and capacity (90.5 percent), respectively.
That certainly won’t be a problem this year.
Hey Shaq….is Pat Riles callin’ you yet…you still have a chance to win a Ring for the King AND Flash…at the same time, money aside. You got 2 more years left in you Shaq and goin’ cheap to chase Kobe’s 5 rings? Let’s go Shaq, lets GO!! Can you imagine…ALL FOUR OF YOU in South Beach!!!
Shaq go to miami heat it’s not about the money anymore it’s about winning an NBA title once more he can still shoot some hoops, block shots and rebounds right? and u can still win a ring for the king and play with dwayne wade and chris bosh and Pat Riley take over as miami’s coach people want to see phil vs pat and shaq vs kobe plus kobe vs lebron how cool is that!
This is the point that Gilbert left out of his tirade against James, how much money James made both Gilbert (who by definition is wealthy) and the Cleveland area for the past 7 years. This is also the reason (I’m sure) that he was so venomous…the loss of millions in one decision. Now that he doesn’t have to pay 130 million for James over the next 6 years MAYBE he can build a different team. And guess how he is going to try and do that…by inciting (read stealing) another big name from some other team (Carmelo you had better sign quick with Denver).
Don’t get me wrong, I still believe that Jame’s legend would have be larger if he had stayed in Cleveland and the 1 hour farce about the ‘decision’ was definitely the wrong way to go about it (Kudos to you Durant) but Gilbert’s response was a little too self-serving in my opinion.
yeah Shaq, be the center of the Heat. Chris Bosh can’t stop Howard and Bynum. But you can! The Kings of South Beach! yeah baby!
If ever Shaq rejoins Miami to get that 5th ring, it’s going to mark the end of integrity in the NBA altogether. what ever happened to winning the championship the old fashion way?.Start from the bottom and work your way up that mountain, If in fact this new big three in Miami do win multiple titles, it wont be as special as Wade winning it without Shaq or Lebron winning it in Cleveland. This is a shortcut to the championship journey. All three of these guys had pretty decent supporting casts with their respective teams but did not want to endure anymore of the long process of building their teams to championship level except of course Lebron who already had a championship caliber team in Cleveland. He just couldn’t close the deal. Now they converge and decide it would be much easier to just drop everything else and joing forces in Miami to give them a much easier road to the promise land. Now does that describe greatness on Lebron’s part, a guy who has “the chosen one” tattooed on his back? The guy who promised a title for Cleveland? The self-proclaimed King who right now will joing the Heat which is obviously Wade’s team? it’s exciting for Miami but I don’t think the rest of the league is enjoying this cause now it’s going to be a trend for guys who’ve already made their millions and just want a ring before they retire.
I realise what you are saying, but it’s certainly not the basketball we used to know, with the same type of player personalities as those before the mid 90′s. Players (especially of superstar status) don’t want to retire and be in the group of Malone, Stockton, Ewing, Barkley, Mullin, Kemp, Miller, etc. To give up close to 2 decades of service in a team, who at times will put the right supporting cast around you, and at other times wont (look at what Garnett had to go through with Minnesotta), and in the end not win that championship. You grow up dreaming playing in the NBA, you dream of winning that championship, you dream of winning it with the team you support, but that all changes on draft night. That’s when you enter the Business side of Basketball. What if Cleveland didn’t have the number 1 pick on Draft Night 2003 and it was Detroit or Denver instead? Cleveland would never have even had the opportunity of their “own” son playing for them. So LeBron would be chasing RINGS in whichever other team would have drafted him.
Plus… your supporting casts need to step up. Could you see Miami doning anything without Wade? We saw what happened when he got injured. Let them play, let them choose what they choose for themselves and just keep loving the game. Next year won’t make Miami automatic winners. Look at how many teams have trilogies to upset them. It’s like sort of saying the Lakers, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Orlando, Oklahoma City, and Portland can’t still put up a fight against them when we know they can.
Love the game…. its where amazing happens.
dats great shaq will be the center of the big three in miami but his aging already, he cant deliver the way he deliver when he was still young, this spectacular decision of LBJ had made many astonished and disappointed most likely in Cleveland but LBJ wants a championship ring thats why he leaves his city. this is the great trio i’ve ever imagine but we’ll see if they can mesh up. dont forget that LA are the champ they will try to defend their title for the three-peat,maybe the trio wants to to chase kobe of his 5 rings thats why they join forces hehehe,,im still a fan of LA they are talented and had a deep bench.lets go LA and Miami fight for nba title…
The 3 of them will pose a serious threat to the rest of the league. It would be like if the Lakers had signed Chris Paul and Kevin Durant this year. If I was a Heat fan, I would be estatic. The question some are forgetting is ” How will this affect the league in the years to come. When the best players in the league are on just a few teams, how will this affect the fan base and support for the other teams? The last 2 years the Western Conference has been a battle. Most of the teams there ranked so closely with wins and losses. This is good competition and creates rivalries, memorial games, etc. which is important to the any sport. Losing Amare and Boozer to the Eastern Conference, will make that Conf. even stronger and more competitive with the Western Conf. However, as a basketball fan, I hope that what happened in Miami doesn’t continue to happen in the future. Players trying to load up on one team to win it all, ex. Boston Celtics and now the Heat. Kudos to Kevin Durant! Staying put and building with his team.
Calm down everyone please. LeBron made one heckuva business decision a young entrepeneur could. One, every year hundreds of folks migrate to Florida for the sun & fun. Not all go with jobs waiting on them. Two, LeBron goes with money not being the major issue. Three, why should he keep pounding his knees to satisfy the owner,”fans” or business community. Who will drop him like a hot potato at the first sign of a injury or some other performance impacting situation. Four, you have to love the fact that the NBA season will now have another significant other team and the playoffs, YEOW(!) , WILL BE AWESOME. On behalf of KOBE I want to thank LeBron, DeWayne and Chris.
LOL This is awesome…MIA always will be in LA’S shadow basketball-wise.
1. Our championship coach becomes your coach/owner. Still enjoying the scraps I see?
2. Our famed center goes to your team and is directly responsible for your franchises ONE AND ONLY championship.
3. Our organizations shows its greatness in a return to the finals after a dry spell, losing, returning, winning, returning, and winning. Your team saves up its lunch money to buy 3 snicker bars.
LOL@Heat fans that will start the bandwagon up again in miami and across the nation. Im no hater btw, why do i need to hate? Ive got 16 overall championships, back to back without shaq, the greatest shooting guard in the history of the nba not named michael jordan.
LakeSHOW bee EYE ITCH
Actually by the sound of things one could call you a hater, because there really is no comparing Miami to your Los Angeles Lakers.
How can you compare a team that was formed in 1988 with a team from 1947 in Minneapolis and then from 1960 in Los Angeles? 5 of your championships was before they moved to LA. So does that mean we count 11 as the Los Angeles Lakers? And how bout we add the 6 that you guys won before Miami joined the NBA? Come on, you can’t even compare. All the above you have written is that of a hater.
Miami is trying to do what every other team in the NBA is trying to do. Win championships, and create a dynasty. As you said you already have that, so you worried that Kobe is under threat of continuing his own? Oh and just as who won Miami that championship…. i believe if you watch the series again, you’ll see Wade did it singlehandedly. But you probably already knew that right?
Just love the game, and be excited about another great match up.
Cleveland fans are really unhappy that Lebron chose to go to Miami but I think they are taking this too much to heart. Lebron is a very good player that hasn’t one a championship and feels that he can win one in Miami rather than Cleveland. He doesn’t owe anything to the Cavs because for the most part he played his hardest throughout his time in Cleveland. I have never liked and never will like Lebron but I feel that all the criticism that he is getting is unfair.
http://chrisross91.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/suck-it-up-cleveland/
Bron cant win championship ring in his own that why he join in miami how sad,, mj only need scottie and supporting cast for him to win 6 rings..even if they form a suep trio or super friends they will mesh with kobe,, go blackmamba show them what you’ve got….accept the challenge, la’s management will help kobe i know they will strenghten their bench and backcourt as well.
I think people underrate Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman when they talk about the Dynamic Duo of Jorand and Pippen. I think they also underrate Ron Harper who won 3 with Jordan’s 2nd coming, and was there for the first 2 the Lakers won after being brought along to LA by Jackson. With Wade and James as the dynamic duo of Miami, Bosh is that piece which Grant and Rodman were, or the way Fisher is like Ron Harper.
Just look at the talent on the rosters of the Lakers, Celtics, and Pistons in the 80′s. Even your supporting cast were great. Jordan had that, Shaq and Kobe had that, Spurs had that, Kober has it again, and well maybe it’s Miami’s time… although 3 superstars doesn’t guarantee you a title. But Kobe is lucky to have players like Gasol, Odom, Fisher, Artest, and Farmar. All of them talented, and all of them unselfish. Great front office work by the Lakers organisation.
Just love and enjoy the game.
Shaq and AI go to Heat to join the bandwaggon party in South Beach baby!
Of course the Lakers are better than the HEAT, but the Celtics are the cream of the crop in terms of franchise.
Heats will kick the Lakers and they will do so in the next 5 years at least.
Nobody can win a championship by themselves.
Look at Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller etc
Kobe sucks even Paul Pierce is better than him lolz, he nearly got his ass kicked even when they had Ron Artest and Gasol
LeBron and Wade will crush Kobe cry baby and the name Kobe is gay just like LA and the Lakers
The Cav organization had 7 years to come up with a supporting cast worthy of Lebron. Instead of giving Lebron some help, they got no player in the top 20! While lakers got Pau and then Ron Artest, Boston got the big ticket and Ray Allen, Magic got Rashad Lewis. The cav organization like a 4th class team while they had a first class player in Lebron James. Are we to believe that just replacing a coach from a losing team should make Lebron dance? When Kobe lost to Boston in 2008 and won the prize in 2009, the laker organization did not say let’s just try again. They got Ron Artest, who gave them game 7 in 2010! Is Lebron supposed to waste his talent with an organization that is not serious about winning? I think Lebron should have taken a few minutes to address his Cleveland fans prior to telling where he would go. He did not handle himself with class. However, just remember that team owners don’t warn their players while arranging a trade.
With regard to the Lakers. They were lucky to have wjust won their last championship with Kobe Brian. They got away with one when Perkins fell in Game 6. Kobe has 5 rings, he can now play the rest of his careers to have fun, He is one of the greatest. The next decade is Lebron’s ad D. Wayde’s. Sit back and relax to watch the best bascketball we will ever see since Jordan and the magic retired!
Just a correction: Instead of “The cav organization like a 4th class team while they had a first class player in Lebron James”, I meant ” The cav organization behaved like a 4th class team while they had a first class player in Lebron James.”
This is a cowardly move by Lebron,also bad for the league,he chosed the easy way,what kind of legacy he will leva for his fans?a great player who can’t do it on his own,everyone criticized Kobe when he won the championship and said that he can’t do it on his own,he proved them wrong coz he won back to back without Shaq,this separates Kobe from Lebron,he should’ve stayed with the Cavs and ask the management to rebuild their roster…
Shaq is a perfect fit and a great start, but Miami still needs a bench.
They have to do thier scouting and pick guys with a lot ofheart for little money……Similar to what Houston have/had with their lesser known players all maing a name for themselves when Houston won 22games in a row.
A bench with PURE heart, guys just as hungry for a title as Wade, James and Bosh.
the heat is not wades team…its lebrons now
let’s not forget LA is still the team to beat coz their the champs, oh btw did i see a lil green celtic beeyotch in this blog? go shove your face to pierce’s carcass you dumb moron! celtics “old” 3 is over! finished! has been! the C’s will get eaten by Miami’s three king! as for the east? the balance of power has gradually shifted. im looking forward to LA VS MIAMI in the finals! go kobe!
if Miami bigs 3 dont win 5 championship in nxt 6yrs they wont be considered a dynasty in my books..Celtic showed dat instant titles is possible wit mutliply star n servicable role players..dis will be da new formula 4 star players make $ early in career, pad stats 4 endosement deals while planning whos da best fit 2form da nxt superteam 4a instant title run..4other teams 2compete they will have2 ignore luxury tax n lockup good players from early in carreer or ova pay star free agent like da Lakers n cus only few teams like Spurs n Pistons can build contenters thru da draft n trades…i guess kobes n Duncan multiply championships was startin 2 mess wit LBJ head lol..but da good ting is only bad teams wit cap space will beably to form superteams n nxt season there will only be about 3teams or so wit major caps space n wit Carmelo a free agent there may b a nxt superteam in da makin which wud be exciting in da playoffs
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