Teams take what they can in an attempt to create some sort of mental edge heading into a matchup, and the Miami Heat are trying to take the notion that they were lucky to win the NBA championship last season and turn it in their favor, trying to prove to everyone that being a good team with stars like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade brought them the title, not just that historic three-pointer by Ray Allen.

There’s a narrative haters have been trying to sell for an entire year – LeBron James choked, the Miami Heat got lucky, Ray Allen saved the day. They forget about Tony Parker hitting the game winner he wasn’t supposed to make in Game 1. But when LeBron bashing is the goal, facts and truths are neglected to justify the theory that the Miami Heat were lucky to win the NBA championship.

James maybe tried to do too much at the end of game 6, almost costing his team the game, but without him and his 32 points (triple double actually), the Heat wouldn’t be in a position to win that game. Game 7 was a different story, but as we said, some people try to ignore that the series was seven games long. James scored 37 points in the deciding night of the 2013 NBA finals, including that jumper to seal the deal.

We feel slighted. I can’t sit here and lie to you, we do. … It went seven games, it wasn’t like it was 3-0 and they had us in Game 4 and we took it and won four straight. If you look at the numbers, look at the numbers, the lead changes, the ties and the points in that series, it’s almost even. Game 6 was unbelievable to be able to come back and win that game. But that’s the game of basketball. You know, the ball bounces funny ways. Game 1, the shot that Tony Parker hit, I mean, that was unbelievable, to get off the ground and hit that shot and just get it off.

I’m not actually sure the Heat feel insulted about not getting their due respect; it might be a form of media retaliation to Tim Duncan seeming very confident about the Spurs beating the Heat this time. But in general, praising the Miami Heat doesn’t generate as much clicks or attention as bashing them and James. He might no longer be the most hated athlete in the NBA like he was for a whole year, but there are people who can’t wait to see him fail and pull out the insults they’ve been holding back.

And even if he and the Heat succeed, they’ll find some other excuse – referees, luck or some other grand conspiracy. Trolls and others will never admit that they were wrong or out of line. It’s only about pushing forward a certain agenda, and while LeBron James is the most famous basketball player on the face of this planet, he is also someone that generates a lot of negativity, mostly for ridiculous reasons.

There are no good or bad guys in these NBA finals when you try to take a look with an objective pair of eyes. The San Antonio Spurs are built one way and the Miami Heat took another approach, obviously with a lot more star power. It doesn’t make them the bad guys or the inferior team. It simply makes them more exposed and prone to criticism, while the Spurs are always media darlings if they get far in the NBA playoffs. But you don’t win games with public opinion; it turns out basketball, being good and with a pinch of luck does the trick.

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