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This is Mario Chomemers. I've been here before. I know what to do. 2013 NBA champion with the Miami Heat. We can't lose. We won't lose. He's going to take you through their entire championship run presented by State Farm. Welcome to the run. Fresh off their 2012 NBA championship. The Miami Heat entered the 2012 to13 season with one goal, win it again. They opened the season 20 and six, but cracks began to show during a rough stretch on the road where they dropped seven of 10 games. Searching for answers against
bigger front courts, Miami signed Chris Birdman Anderson. With Birdman in the lineup, the Heat went 39 and3 for the remainder of this season. LeBron won five straight Eastern Conference Player of the Month awards, and by mid-season, the MVP race already felt over. Out of the All-Star break, the Heat's dominance intensified. To put it simply, they couldn't lose. They ended up winning 27 straight games, the third longest streak in NBA history. They finished the season 66 and 16, the best record in the league, and a new franchise high for wins. But for Miami, none of it meant anything without another ring.
Going to the playoffs, we knew it was a mindset. It's always a different season, you know, especially with Coach Bone and Pat Riley. They're never going to let you relax. My role this 2013 team was to play defense, knock down shots, and try to control not say the tempers, but the egos that come with being Hall of Famers and the players that, you know, I had on my team. What I remember from the first series about the Bucks, I just remember Brandon Jennings doing an interview saying that they was going to beat us. So that was a little like kind of shocking to hear him say that, knowing that they can't beat us and then it was an easy sweep. We established control in that series just by paint
dominance. We had a big wing lineup but a small big lineup with that. We had a mismatch with either Brun or Dwight or CB and then we had spacers on the floor that could shoot. So you couldn't just focus on or load the paint with just one of those guys when they drive. The Heat Control games 1 through four against Milwaukee completing the first sweep of the Big Three era. Next up, the Chicago Bulls. The same team that ended the Heat's historic regular season streak. Game one brought Miami its first real test of the postseason. Nate Robinson and Jimmy Butler in his sophomore season combined for 48 points as Chicago stunned the Heat on their home floor. But the Heat bounced back, winning the next four to advance to
their third straight Eastern Conference Finals. Their opponent, the Indiana Pacers. Game one was neck andneck. Neither team could create real separation, the deficit never growing beyond five points. Miami appeared to have control late after taking a three-point lead with 11 seconds remaining. But Paul George answered with a game tying three with just.7 seconds left, sending the game to overtime. And in overtime, with the game hanging on a single possession, LeBron James attacked the rim for a layup that sealed Miami's 103 to 102 victory. While LeBron's heroics became the biggest story, another piece of Miami's rotation was quietly changing the series. Chris Birdman Anderson was
flawless in game one, scoring 16 points on a perfect 7 for seven shooting in just 18 minutes off the bench. And his brilliance didn't stop there. He only missed two field goals in the entire series. You get to the end of the game and you're like, "Oh, Bird went seven for seven. Oh, Bird went eight for eight. But with Bird, it's not his scoring. It's more of his energy, his defense. He was a guy that came in, seeing what we needed, see what we lacked, and brought tons of energy, tons of excitement. Uh was a crowd favorite. And then, you know, just a regular normal guy with a
mohawk and a lot of tattoos. Even though he gives that demeanor, like he's tough guy. He's tough, but he's not a mean guy. Like, on the court, you don't want to mess with him. Off the court, you want to hang with him every day. The Pacers stole game two with Roy Hibber leading the way with a 29point double. The Heat responded with a dominant game-3 win in Indiana, propelled by each starter scoring double digits. In game four, Roy Hibbert dominated the paint, recording another 20point double to lead the Pacers to victory and even the series at 22. Going against Roy Hibbert, it was fun. Definitely a good player. Um that little baby jump hook that he had was unstoppable at 72. And you know, our biggest problem was we didn't really
have a big to really guard him or big of size besides Birdman. So we had Shane guarding him sometimes. We had UD guarding him sometimes. We had Chris Bos guard him sometimes. So he was just really a matchup problem in the half court setting. Just the physicality. I think that was the main thing. They was always physical. They always try to beat us up and they always try to outthink us. And that was the thing with our team was like when we locked in, you can't outthink us. But we do have lack of days ago moments as a team. And those were that's what they was good at was attacking those lacadasio moments. One person I give a lot of credit to was Shane Badier. Um that was our defensive
mind. Uh he knew everything when it came to defense. Like I remember just sitting before games and sitting in the jacuzzi warming our feet up and just going over the defensive game plan with him. When it came to thinking the game, everybody talked to shame from DW to Brun to Spo. He was our brains if that makes sense. He was the brains of the operation. And that defensive focus began to shift this series. In game five, Miami held Indiana to a then series low 79 points to take a 3-2 lead. They just needed one more win. But when presented with a chance to close out the series in Indiana, the Heat crumbled against a desperate Pacers team, losing 91 to 77. So much of the playoffs is about the
recovery period. after a loss. 48 hours till they tee it back up again. I mean, this is a lifeless team right now. I'm looking at everybody's faces. I just I've never seen this part besides Chris Bos. He's kind of upset. Um I think everybody's just like we let one slip away. Um this was our chance to end it and really get ready for the next series. We knew how to beat the Pacers and we know playing at their home state was a tough place to play, especially for a closeout game like that. So we just knew that we knew everyone was slipping and we just had to do everything a little bit faster, a little bit harder.
The usual pack house of the 150th consecutive set up. I remember the most was the crowd. Just how loud the crowd was coming into that game and that just gave us all the confidence in the world. I think we actually blew him out that game, didn't we? Yeah. That I'll blame that one on the crowd. The crowd was just behind us and had us so amped up and hyped for that game on top of the jitters of being in game seven already. So definitely big up to Heat Nation for that one. The Heat took game seven in dominant fashion, completely overwhelming the Pacers, forcing 21 turnovers. And as Indiana unraveled, LeBron thrived. He scored 32 points and had eight rebounds, leading Miami to a commanding 99-76
victory. The Heat were headed to their third straight NBA finals. their opponent, the San Antonio Spurs, led by Tim Duncan's quiet dominance in Tony Parker's steady control. Game one came down to the final moments and the Spurs leaned on Tony Parker to clinch the victory. Parker on the drive, nearly lost it, still dribbling, Parker with two to shoot, just gets it off IN TIME AND HE BANKS IT IN. WHAT A SHOT FROM PARKER. THAT WAS a tough shot by Tony Parker. That was a move. He was getting it going in that fourth quarter. I remember he probably hit a shot similar to this on me right before this play. He just had it going in the fourth and it was just one of the moments like you see
why they champions. You see why Tony Parker is a player he is. Thing with Tony Parker was his speed. If you didn't match his speed, he'll blow past you every time. So you have to catch his second move and not his first move. So he made you think. He made you lock in and hold on to your principles on the defensive end. Quick shot in shot one goes duck and lost it. Clipped by Miller and that's it. San Antonio comes into Miami and wins game one. This game one loss felt a little bit different just cuz it's the Spurs. They've been there before. They're champions and you know they had a great coaching pop and great players in Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu. So it was kind of like
we really have to go make adjustments and we just can't do things harder and faster and stronger like we did versus OKC the previous years. One thing about our team, we've been dealing with adversary ever since Bron came there. So, that's one thing that we was accustomed to and knew how to adjust. We're our best with our backs against the wall. We've always been like that. When we play OKC the year before, it was a bunch of trash talking, a bunch of name calling, a bunch of just uh you knew two teams that wanted to win so bad that didn't like each other but had a respect for each other. We're a team that likes to be gritty, get into different things, commotions, different battles, hold grab and spurs.
is just like, "Nah, we going to kill you with kindness." Like, "Oh, you hit it. You hit that shot. Nice shot. Good shot." Well, what do I say back to somebody that gave me a compliment? Their kindness is a killer. It can mess with your mind if you let it. The Heat shook off their disappointing game one loss and fired back with a dominant defensive performance in game two, forcing 17 turnovers and blocking six shots, including a huge LeBron Chase block on Splitter. Chmer's 19 points led the Heat to an 103 to 84 victory, evening the series. But the Spurs turned the tables in game three, causing 16 heat turnovers. They also hit 16 threes, both Danny Green and
Gary Neil dropping playoff careerh highs to win 113 to 77. Game four was a mustwin for the Heat. But the Spurs started out hot, getting a quick 10-point lead. Then DWade happened. He rallied them back into the game with 33 points, six rebounds, and six steals. The Heat Big Three combined for 85 points to get a huge 109 to 93 win in even the series. But the Spurs fired back. Tim Duncan controlled the paint and dominated the rebounding battle in game five, finishing with 17 points and 12 boards as San Antonio cruised to victory. Now the Heat were down 3-2 to a Spurs team led by Tim Duncan. And by the way, the side note, the person that did all the nice compliment was Tim Duncan. He started
it. But Tim Duncan is a Hall of Famer, Mr. Fundamental. Just the way you can't speed him up. You can't make him make a mistake. You don't know how to make him a mistake. Like some players, you know, if you pressure them, they're going to make mistake. If you foul him hard, they're going to do something different. Tim Duck is just the same. He keeps the same game throughout the whole time. So that's what makes him. I wouldn't say he was in his prime, but his body and the way he moved, it was it's unescribable. With the Spurs, they're they just always moved and they had shooters. They ran a play. I always remember this play. It was kind of like a pick and a roll and Danny Green would run to the opposite side.
So, if you're the bottom man helping, you think your man's to the left where he normally is, but then he's to the right. So, your natural reaction is always going this way. and they would hit Danny Graham on the opposite side for a three or Gary Neil. I just always remember that their spacing was always A1. Nothing really broke down. They didn't have bad moments and they didn't really make mistakes. The Spurs kept the momentum going to start game six. Tim Duncan hit his first eight shots and scored 25 first half points. In the third quarter, San Antonio led by double digits. Miami season was slipping away, but the Heat began to fight back. And then came a
moment that really changed the momentum. As LeBron James attacked the rim, Duncan met him from behind, knocking his signature headband off midair. And from that point forward, the energy of the game shifted. LeBron took over. With just over a minute to go, the Heat tied the game. When we finally tied it up, it was just like, "Okay, now we got it where we want it. Let's keep going from here. No let downs, no look backs, no turnovers, no mistakes. And from that point on, I think we made about four or five big mistakes that almost cost us the game. I remember mine. I came down, uh, I got to the paint, I should have shot it, but I tried to throw a pass to Dwight and it got intercepted and they came down, I
think we had to foul. Um, Braun came down and did the same thing. Tried to pass to CB. It got intercepted. and we had a foul. So, it was like three or four crucial turnovers that we had from this moment that we said we wasn't going to make any more mistakes. A 70 run for the San Antonio Spurs. The infamous Pat Riley stands. Pat shows no emotions until it's time to show emotion. A lot of pressure on a 21-year-old in his first NBA finals. And with Duncan out, attack the rim. They're not going to come off a three-point shooter. You can score quickly for that moment. I don't know what he was thinking when he took Tim Duncan
out, but it was just one of them moments where um Thank you. That's all I can say. Thank you. I was mad about this play, too. Watch one there from Leonard. Should the Spurs foul? Should Miami go for the three right away? Just attack the basket. James catches, PUTS UP A THREE. LONG GO. REBOUND. BOSCH. BACK OUT TO ALLEN. HIS THREE-POINTER. BANG. TIE GAME WITH 5 SECONDS REMAINING. I'm not going to lie, I was upset when Spo drew this up because I felt like we should be running it for Ray instead of Braun. But, you know, superstars are superstars. You give them a chance to be superstars in those moments. So he got a
good look. Got a great look actually um and just missed it. Ray would be in practice every day backpedaling to the corner shooting threes. So it was kind of like one of them things like we I would ask him like why do you do that? Like why do you practice the way shooting the way you do? He always tell me you never know what type of footwork you're going to need in any type of moment. I've seen him practice that shot so many times that he gets behind that three without even looking at it. So I knew it was a good shot. It's one of the moments where like we came back and we took all the momentum. So, it's like it's our game to lose now going into overtime.
Green trying to get free. Crosscourt pass TO GREEN. GREEN BLOCKED BY BOSCH. GAME OVER. There'll be a game seven. That was a big block by CB. This game was so physically tough just for everything that went into it from the emotions, the up and down emotions, the seeing the crowd give up, seeing the crowd come back and cheer back up and just everything that you had to go through. Just the ups and downs throughout that whole game. It wasn't a smooth game like it was supposed to be. So, it was one of those games where like you had to claw and fight the whole way to win. Game seven on our home court. We can't lose. We won't lose.
Game seven would be the ultimate battle. The Spurs, no strangers to big games, came out firing. After the Heat fell behind 15 to 10 early, Shane Badier delivered an immediate spark off the bench, knocking down two quick threes to ignite an 80 Miami run. But San Antonio continued to pressure the Heat offensively, attacking the paint and drawing contact. The Spurs attempted 15 free throws in the first half and Miami just attempted three. Even with LeBron leading all scorers with 15 points, Miami was only up two at the half. And it wasn't just the free throw disparity preventing Miami from pulling away. The little mistakes were getting in the way.
Like Chomemer's four turnovers. In a game this tight, every possession mattered. I was so hyped to play this game that I could not hit a three the whole game. And the one three I did hit was the one at the backboard at the end of the third quarter. Thomas racing up the floor, SETS, FIRES, THREE-POINTER. OH, HE PUTS IT in the buzzer. Mario Chmer gets the heat. There goes that Mario as we head to the fourth quarter. Chamers now with 12 points. Had a couple of difficult turnovers here in the third, but never afraid to take the big shot cuz I know there's only one or two outcomes. If you don't take the shot, now you have three outcomes of you never
took it. So, you don't know if you made it or miss it. And if you do take the shot, you either make it or miss it. And how much work you put in the gym, 75 80% of the time, you going to make it. It's a feeling that comes over you when the clock start getting closer to zero where the team kind of lets up a little bit. Especially if you're up quite a few, they'll kind of let up and you're kind of feel that. I don't necessarily want to say them giving up, but it's kind of like the sense is like they feel defeated and then you feel you feel that to go against solidified Hall of Famers like Tony Parker, Pop, Tim Duncan, um you even throw Boris Dial in there. just to go against those guys and see
how well they play together, how they gel as a unit, and just to know that they've been doing that for a long time, and that's the model that you want to repeat and follow. It was just good to beat them. I think the most underrated factor that most cheap championship teams have is the unselfishness. Um people willing to do whatever it takes for the next man and to leave it all on the line.
