By the time an NBA team reaches the conference finals, team morale and spirit play critical components in helping a team win.
One look at the benches of the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics during Game 3 of the East Finals shows the vast difference in spirit and culture between the two squads.
The Heat’s championship culture was reignited this season by the addition of Jimmy Butler, who is a team player not only on the court, but off the court as well.
It showed in the first two games of the series, as Miami overcame double-digit deficits to win both contests and take a 2-0 lead.
After blowing Game 2, the Celtics team spirit disintegrated, as members of the team had a meltdown.
The spirit, togetherness, resolve and confidence of the Heat were huge factors in their huge upset of the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the previous round.