Jeff Van Gundy Says Miami Heat Will Break Chicago Bulls' 72-Win Record?
Jeff Van Gundy doesn’t “think” the Heat will break the most untouchable winning record in the NBA.
He's sure of it.
“They will break the single-season win record [of 72],” Van Gundy said.
There’s a certain tone of confidence in his quote, but isn’t he speaking way too early?
Most teams haven’t started training camp yet, and no one has seen how well the new trio down in Miami play with the rest of their teammates.
Many have watched LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh play together on Team USA in the Olympics, but remember that they’re not the Miami Heat team. Though the way people talk about them, it appears as if they are the whole team.
There is Mike Miller and the rest of the crew who are running out of years and are willing to sacrifice playing time to get their last taste at a championship, hopefully.
The point is that the Heat have a whole new look after landing three of the top players in the NBA, but saying that they will become greater than the 90's Bulls before the season even starts is ridiculous.
At this point, the “Super Trio” down in South Beach is simply overrated.
Prior to when the Bulls made record-breaking NBA history (as a team) in the 1995-96 season, they had already established themselves as the team to beat not because of the names on their roster, but by the way they played together.
They had proven themselves before by winning three NBA titles in a row, by taking down a Magic Johnson led Lakers team, and by matching a three-peat only accomplished then by the legendary 60's Celtics.
Michael Jordan claimed the MVP title during the Bulls’ first three-peat, and his teammates, like Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and even John Paxson, all did it by playing together.
Then, once Jordan returned from retirement, the Bulls jumped from a 47-35 record to 72-10.
No one predicted that. Not even the brightest or most intelligent NBA/sports analyst back then (whoever he was) bothered to say something like “this Bulls team will break the Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West-led Lakers’ 69-win record.”
Maybe not those words exactly, but hopefully the idea is understood.
Additionally, Jordan set the record without calling up Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.
Once Jordan retired, arguably, the Bulls were Pippen’s team.
Dennis Rodman, Ron Harper, and Toni Kukoc were just names without Jordan.
But Jordan, with the heart of a champion, and Phil Jackson helped mesh the different talents the Bulls had to create, so far, the most unbreakable winning record in the league.
The Bulls knew how to play together. The team chemistry, dedication, determination, and hard work were there.
The Bulls played relentlessly, ousting Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp’s Seattle SuperSonics.
Over and over, the Bulls handed John Stockton, Karl Malone, and the rest of the folks in Utah heartbreaking losses.
Former Bull Steve Kerr (who made up part of the acclaimed depth in the Bulls’ bench) said: “There are too many variables, too many meaningless games, too many bad shooting nights, too much playoff preparation.”
Assuming that he’s referring to the NBA now, even if the Heat do reach 70 wins, it wouldn’t be at the same level of difficulty and competition as when the Bulls accomplished it.
It's dangerous to say that James, Wade, and Bosh don't match up at all with Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman. Jordan has ten times the heart than James and Wade combined, and Rodman, in his prime, can out rebound Bosh any day.
Yes, comparing different seasons is like comparing apples to oranges. Yet, it’s meaningless to say that the Heat will break the record set by the Bulls without winning a ring. Now that would just be sad.
If the Heat do manage to accomplish both, then props to them.
But all Van Gundy can say in support of his statement is the names “James, Wade, and Bosh.” There’s no team in there until they prove there is when playing together in the season.
Many confuse Pat Riley as the Heat’s head coach. Erik Spoelstra has yet to prove he can suddenly coach a 70-win plus team.
Sports analysts, sports fans, and sportswriters have over analyzed, under analyzed, and speculated about how the NBA teams with their face lifts will play together.
Furthermore, to say, with certainty, that the Heat will make history, and even break the Lakers’ 33-game winning streak, is foolish of Van Gundy.
That’s not to say the Heat won’t go on to accomplish great feats.
Put biases aside for the moment.
Maybe, by the slimmest of margins, the Heat might go 72 plus.
But even if they do, they wouldn't have done it with the same class or fashion that the Bulls did back then -- old school basketball, raw talent, raw elements. The Heat were able to pick the ripest from the crop. The Bulls dealt with what they had.
Jeff Van Gundy wants to talk about records now?
Patience was never his virtue.
It’s too early to make calls like that, let alone make predictions on how many wins teams will have without even watching a glimpse of a preseason game.
Silly Van Gundy.
