NBA Playoffs 2011, Miami Heat: Why It's Sad They Are Close to Winning the Finals

In the 2005-2006 season, Dwayne Wade put the Miami Heat on his back, as they came back from a 2-0 series deficit in the Finals to win the first NBA title in franchise history.

Since then, they haven't been real championship contenders.

Right now the Heat is enjoying a superstar trio in Lebron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade, who lead the squad as they enter into the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.

After Miami saw less success in the years following the 2005-2006 season, they found a solution: Throw money at the problem.

The Heat ended up buying Chris Bosh from Toronto, which would have made a good team alone.

But at the same time, there were rumors circulating about where LeBron James would go next. Would he go to the Clippers, Heat, Knicks, Nets? Or would he simply stay in Cleveland?

Then, in James' infamous hour-long TV show, "The Decision," he announced that he would "take his talents to South Beach."

Now, in their first year with LeBron, the Heat are so close to winning the NBA title—with no chemistry, just pure star power.

No beautiful passing game, just the Trio.

I prefer teams who pass the ball, demonstrate teamwork, and develop chemistry. (In soccer, the Heat would be Real Madrid, while Barcelona and Arsenal would be teams who rely on teamwork and passing, while trying to play a beautiful game.)

A couple of years ago, the Phoenix Suns were an incredibly fun team to watch, with Nash, Marion, and Stoudemire. They passed around the perimeter, swung the ball around, then took a shot.

Nash wasn't a big name when he was acquired by Phoenix; he didn't go to Duke or UConn, he went to Santa Clara. He just molded into the Suns' squad, and fit in well. That's what I like (not that I'm a Suns fan).

In my opinion, the fact that Miami is so close to winning the Finals is sad for the sport.

It just shows that money can buy you rings.