I Told You Last Year Wasn't Any Fun

[TurnUpTheHeat]

From CBS SPORTS:


Why wasn't it fun?
The outsized attention? The relentless pressure?
"I don't know," Wade said. "It's hard to say, man, because you want it. We wanted it. So it's hard to say that. You don't know exactly what's going to come with it, but we put ourselves in that position. But sometimes you can put too much on yourself, all of us, and it becomes a black cloud around. Last year wasn't fun. I mean, there was no stretch of it [that was] fun. That whole season, to me, it's amazing we made it to the Finals. It's just honest.
Wade added that this year in Miami, "there's just a different renewed focus and energy" along with the new teammates and the lack of championship expectations. He's not the only member of the Heat to talk about this during training camp, and Chris Bosh was honest about last season with the Associated Press' Tim Reynolds after the San Antonio Spurs won the title:

"I don't think anybody really enjoyed this season like in years past," Bosh told The Associated Press. "There was no, like, genuine joy all the time. It seemed like work. It was a job the whole year. Winning was just a relief. Losing was a cloud over us sometimes and then we'd break out of it — and then go right back. But we got here. We had a chance. They were just better."
…
"I see why people were saying three-peating is hard. I get it now," Bosh said. "I get it. There's just so many other things you have to fight. The human psyche, the human condition. We're all human. And it was a long, tough season."
​

Yep, that's two of Miami's stars referring to a cloud hanging over the team in a season when it won 54 games and made it to the NBA Finals. But it was understandable. The Heat played an extremely demanding style of defense, and didn't have the energy to be consistent on that end throughout the year. There was enormous pressure to win another championship, and numerous people in the organization acknowledged that, when San Antonio won, everyone knew there would be changes.
The players didn't know that LeBron James was going to leave, but they knew they couldn't come back with the same group. This new iteration of the Heat has less talent than it did with James, but the good news is it will be less of a circus. Wade and company should have an easier time focusing on basketball rather than all the extraneous stuff that comes along with it.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

It wasn't fun if you're a Heat fan..

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

It wasn't fun if you're a Heat fan..

Lol exactly!

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

It wasn't fun if you're a Heat fan..

Coming from Lakers fans?
You're season was a real barrel of monkeys.

I think any fan base would be satisfied if the end result was making the Finals.
That has nothing to do with this though.

The season was just one drawn out struggle to watch on most nights.
No urgency, little energy, contrived emotion.
That roster was played out as constructed.

 

[lakersrule]

I seriously doubt Wade and Bosh would be claiming this if the Heat won the championship and Lebron stayed. Seems to me this is unnecessary whining.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Coming from Lakers fans?
You're season was a real barrel of monkeys.

I think any fan base would be satisfied if the end result was making the Finals.
That has nothing to do with this though.

The season was just one drawn out struggle to watch on most nights.
No urgency, little energy, contrived emotion.
That roster was played out as constructed.

We got a top draft pick out of it and we currently have the same record as the rest of the NBA.

It's not a championship but it's not a loss.

 

[HubertJubberman]

Coming from Lakers fans?
You're season was a real barrel of monkeys.

I think any fan base would be satisfied if the end result was making the Finals.
That has nothing to do with this though.

The season was just one drawn out struggle to watch on most nights.
No urgency, little energy, contrived emotion.
That roster was played out as constructed.

I hate the Lakers as much as the next guy but I would rather be a team that has no expectations than a team armed for a championship. More of a heartbreak for the Heat than LA. Still, fuck LA.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

I hate the Lakers as much as the next guy but I would rather be a team that has no expectations than a team armed for a championship. More of a heartbreak for the Heat than LA. Still, fuck LA.

I think you are all missing the point.
I agree that if they had won that we wouldn't be hearing this because the championship would have translated into fun.

If you remember though, which I said it many times during last season, it wasn't fun being at most games or sitting home watching them.

I even got into a debate with Trojan over how much of a % of the game they actually played with maximum effort.

Numbers spoke for themselves. Worse W/L record vs -.500 teams then +.500.
They put together one nice streak of good efforts when they went on their long West Coast trip and won every game except for the one against the worst team on it (Utah).

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

Sounds like excuse making to me....


They got their asses kicked by the Spurs, now its because they moped through a season unhappy???


Come on now Bosh. You are better than this. I hope its a snippet taken out of context of the whole interview.


I have never heard someone use the unhappy card.




The happy HEAT would have lost as well. The Spurs were that good at seasons end.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Sounds like excuse making to me....


They got their asses kicked by the Spurs, now its because they moped through a season unhappy???


Come on now Bosh. You are better than this. I hope its a snippet taken out of context of the whole interview.


I have never heard someone use the unhappy card.




The happy HEAT would have lost as well. The Spurs were that good at seasons end.

Where did they ever make any excuses for losing to the Spurs?
Where did they ever not give the Spurs the credit they deserved?

Seems like you guys are really reaching.

All they are saying is what people who watched them on a nightly basis already knew.
That roster, as constructed, was finished.

 

[bksballer89]

I seriously doubt Wade and Bosh would be claiming this if the Heat won the championship and Lebron stayed. Seems to me this is unnecessary whining.

Bosh said this since the regular season actually......

 

[bksballer89]

Sounds like excuse making to me....


They got their asses kicked by the Spurs, now its because they moped through a season unhappy???


Come on now Bosh. You are better than this. I hope its a snippet taken out of context of the whole interview.


I have never heard someone use the unhappy card.




The happy HEAT would have lost as well. The Spurs were that good at seasons end.

How is that excuse making? You need to read better. In the same interview he said the spurs ran fucking circles around us

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

Coming from Lakers fans?
You're season was a real barrel of monkeys.

I think any fan base would be satisfied if the end result was making the Finals.
That has nothing to do with this though.

The season was just one drawn out struggle to watch on most nights.
No urgency, little energy, contrived emotion.
That roster was played out as constructed.

As a Lakers fan, we were never satisfied for just making the Finals.

 

[bksballer89]

Btw heat reporters were saying all last year that they were not having fun. Not having fun doesn't mean the same team as not wanting to win. I don't see how last year could have been fun for wade with the maintenance program they had him on.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Coming from Lakers fans?
You're season was a real barrel of monkeys.

I think any fan base would be satisfied if the end result was making the Finals.
That has nothing to do with this though.

The season was just one drawn out struggle to watch on most nights.
No urgency, little energy, contrived emotion.
That roster was played out as constructed.

Don't be so sensitive - I enjoyed the season in spite of the problems for the Lakers. I don't think you get it though. It is really difficult to win back to back championships and even tougher to three-peat. That's the reason so many of us was laughing when Heat fans said "7 in a row" Once you become the champion and the defending champ - every team in the league spends twice as much time preparing for you and come for your head. You don't think the Spurs spent time preparing for your demise in the finals? Popovich was planning and preparing for that all season long and as good as the coach what's his name is, there is just only so much planning you can do for the enemy when everyone is coming for you. We Lakers fans have been through that and already know that so yes - each time after the championship, it gets harder, it gets to be a grind and the pressure to win increases to the point where it's no fun at all.
That's why it is so amazing what the Spurs have done. To come back close to ten years later and win another championship with the first two he started with(Duncan and Parker) is just amazing. I am awed at the greatness of the Spurs. No team will match that greatness - not even the Lakers. If the Lakers win another championship - it will be a different team and different coach. Same coach for ten years and same core players is truly greatness far beyond the capabilities of Lebron and the Heat. Im sorry for your loss but it's time to move on. The Heat has a good team, they will still be in the top five teams and they have an excellent chance at getting to the finals. Just chill and enjoy the season and don't put pressure on yourself like that.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Btw heat reporters were saying all last year that they were not having fun. Not having fun doesn't mean the same team as not wanting to win. I don't see how last year could have been fun for wade with the maintenance program they had him on.

The reason they were not having fun is because the expectations was to win another championship was so high and they knew that their season would be considered a bust if they didn't. It's a natural thing for defending champions. They get that swagger and they think it belongs to them - especially when they went to the finals three straight years and lost only the first time. Of course they wanted to win - many of the players said the same thing when they played for Phil Jackson. That by the way is one of the reasons that I don't think Dwight Howard will ever win a championship. It is hard and it is a grind and some players including Dwight Howard want to have fun without that hard work and grind.

Please note - that I believe all of the Miami fans wanted to win, worked hard at, but the pressure of winning most likely sucked the joy out of the last championship. It happens. You win one and they ask what about the next.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

As a Lakers fan, we were never satisfied for just making the Finals.

Times and mindset change depending on circumstance.
Last year the preseason Lakers fan conversation was about if you could make the playoffs.

Are you saying that if you did make them this year ( which you won't) that you wouldn't be satisfied?

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Times and mindset change depending on circumstance.
Last year the preseason Lakers fan conversation was about if you could make the playoffs.

Are you saying that if you did make them this year ( which you won't) that you wouldn't be satisfied?

Everyone is always pointing fingers and blaming each other when that happens man. It's nothing new. The only difference here is that Heat fans were expecting seven championships in a row and they got two.

 

[bksballer89]

Everyone is always pointing fingers and blaming each other when that happens man. It's nothing new. The only difference here is that Heat fans were expecting seven championships in a row and they got two.

All you do is make shit up that is far from the truth

 

[True Lakers Fan]

All you do is make shit up that is far from the truth

Ah, Okay, so everyone is happy that Lebron left and No one is making excuses?