Miami Heat: 2011's Best Team or its Most Hated?
The balance of power in the NBA may not have shifted when the free agency storm finally settled over the city of Miami, but the flood of hate, which is soon to follow, will likely be unrivaled throughout the league.
The Los Angeles Lakers remain the favorites to clinch next season's NBA championship, but LeBron James' decision to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami may have supplanted the Lakers as the league's most hated team.
Lakers' fans should rejoice because now, another franchise will get an education on what it's like to consistently be the victim of hate, and in the Heat's case, it will come before any real results on the court.
For the Lakers, the hate usually stems from their rate of success throughout the years. But for the Heat, it will come from the fact that three of the league's best players decided to pool their collective talents, and also, the manner in which they did it.
There can be little doubt that the formation of the Miami super team was a carefully orchestrated occurrence, and the league and fans alike are appalled at the circumstances surrounding the events.
The franchise and its fans in Cleveland feel betrayed not only by James' departure, but the fact he scheduled a one-hour spectacle on ESPN to let the world know he was jolting his native state.
Other teams around the NBA such as the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, and New Jersey Nets are stunned by the dawning realization they never had a shot at James anyway.
It's becoming obvious that James' decision was probably made around the time Wade announced that this class' top free agents would confer about their impending decisions, and that pre-meditation has left a sour taste in the mouths of fans across the league.
To make matters worse, most media types have already established Miami as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference next season, despite the success of teams like the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic.
The Celtics have no problems generating high levels of hate on their own, but now, fans of other teams may be sympathetic of their plight, in a combined show of hate for the brewing Miami dynasty.
The same can be said for the Magic, who seemed to regress a little from their Finals' appearance of 2009, and now seem to be completely out of the conversation as a contender for next season's crown.
Both the Celtics and the Magic are legitimate contenders for next season's Eastern Conference title, and are better teams than the Heat right now, but the expectations of the Miami dream team have clouded reality.
Each of the east's top teams are cognizant of the fact they have been relegated to secondary status, and this will surely serve as motivation when the games begin next season.
As a follower of the Lakers, I can empathize with the Heat's situation, but unlike Miami, the hate generated by the Lakers has been consistently matched by their efforts on the court.
This new team in Miami doesn't have the same type of legacy to stand on, and if the wins don't come quickly for the Heat, the situation could turn very nasty in a hurry.
Most observers expect the Heat to immediately challenge for an NBA title, but there are questions abound, and if those questions are not answered, then the rest of the NBA is waiting for an opportunity to pounce.
Every loss will be scrutinized, every misstep will be noticed, and god forbid Miami fails to reach the Finals this season because the cries of overrated will be epic.
Some people will not agree with my assumptions, but this is coming from years of experience and exposure to the same type of hate venom the Heat will now be subjected to.
A word of advice for Heat fans; the best cure for the hate virus is continued success, and that is a remedy that has been proved in the glow of the Lakers' past two championships.
