Chris Bosh Details 'Hunger Games' Practices with Erik Spoelstra's Heat

Erik Spoelstra is known in NBA circles as one of the league's calmer head coaches, rarely showing outward displays of anger or frustration in tense moments.

That doesn't mean Spo isn't capable of kicking his team in the behind once the doors are closed.

In his latest post for his The Last Chip blog, Chris Bosh detailed "The Hunger Games" practices Spoelstra put the team through after a disappointing Game 1 loss to the Chicago Bulls in the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals. 

"I also knew Spo was going to make us feel that loss the next day. After the game, he hadn't said much more than, 'Practice tomorrow.' That meant we were in for what he called The Hunger Games—practices worthy of the name, where he'd push us as hard as we could go. 

"We started the day with a film session, which was brutal. But for as hard as film time could be, no matter what you're trying to improve—whether you're trying to get better at your job or at working out or whatever—I suggest you start doing something similar. Because there's no better way to improve at your craft than watching yourself do it, observing what you did wrong, and fixing it the next time. That's what I call 'Doing The Work,' and it's an integral part of being the best at what you do, no matter what that may be."

The Bulls held Miami to 39.7 percent shooting from the floor in that Game 1 loss, while Bosh finished with only nine points on 3-of-10 shooting. The Heat responded with a resounding 115-78 win over Chicago in Game 2, and Bosh credited Spoelstra's practice for galvanizing the team. 

"All of us were naturally competitive, but those Hunger Games film sessions and practices taught us how to lock down our chemistry, develop our ability to communicate without words, and work the collective muscles that had gotten us here in the first place. So by the time we were back on the floor, we knew it wasn't going to be close."

Bosh did not delve deep into details on what a Hunger Games practice consists of, but it had to be taxing to wear out a team that included Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. 

The Heat won the subsequent three games of the series and went on beat the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs to bring home the 2013 NBA championship.