Fan talk: Miami Heat turmoil welcomed by fans

When the LeBron James(notes) saga played out during the summer, I wasn't as annoyed as everyone else at first. In fact, since James was going to decide days after free agency started, I thought he was the antithesis of Brett Favre. It was only when "The Decision" ESPN special was announced that I started to turn against him, as much of the country did. I wanted him to win in Cleveland, and was on his side up until "The Decision" plans came out - but now, as James and the Miami Heat are tumbling down, myself and many others see poetic justice on the horizon.

Those who couldn't stand the Heat after "The Decision" have had their knives sharpened all season. They came out in force after their 9-8 start, but they had to put them away in the next few months. Yet along the way, it was easy to notice that most of their wins were against sub .500 teams. Meanwhile, their record against actual contenders was spottier, especially in close games.
However, since the Heat were still neck and neck with the Celtics and Bulls, critics didn't have a real chance to pounce in full force. Yet after this week, enemies of the Heat and James are feeling vindicated, even if it may be premature.

Only a select few teams inspire joy when they lose, or look ready to collapse. However, those squads usually win championships first, like the Yankees or Cowboys. With the Heat, this is a special case of schadenfreude, since they haven't won anything yet. But since they bragged that they'd win multiple championships after The Decision, there is even more egg on their face.

Fans like myself are relieved at this for several reasons. The most prominent is poetic justice for James, and how his Decision isn't paying off. In fact, because he put such a bullseye on himself, his lack of clutch play is more evident than it would have been in Cleveland. We already know he hasn't come through in the postseason clutch lately, but his lack of regular season heroics doesn't bode well either.

A better reason to gloat over the Heat's trouble, is what this says about the NBA. When this 'super team' was formed, it was easy to buy into the hype that they'd steamroll through the league. With three superstars, no one seemed likely to stop them - as little things like a supporting cast, blending styles together, and the other contenders looked irrelevant. But even though more 'super teams' may be formed soon, like in New York, the Heat's problems prove that multiple superstars don't guarantee anything,

This restores my faith, and the faith of others, that the NBA is still a team first league. Even Kobe Bryant(notes) couldn't break through without Shaq until he got some help, while Boston's Big Three didn't do it alone. In fact, the next biggest dynasty of the last decade is team first, as San Antonio quietly won four rings with a lot of support, and could win a fifth this year. This would be the ultimate irony, as for all the hype about the super Heat, the overlooked but loaded Spurs may add on to their multiple championships.

We love to argue over the Heat, but we would have been bored if they actually won countless rings without breaking a sweat. They still might down the line, yet it won't come this season, unless they fix a few things. For all of their star power, they will have to grind it out like everyone else, as will other "super teams" that come about later.

While Miami and LeBron fans are starting to panic, it is hard for others to feel that sympathetic. Bitterness over The Decision is certainly a reason, and an understandable one. Yet on a deeper level, it serves as a valuable lesson that titles can't be bought, and that massive stars mean little if they don't have championship makeup. Now all that's left is for the Lakers to finally crumble, so that the NBA can be truly wide open in May and June.