It's All About Heart

When Bleacher Talk pegged the Miami Heat as a slight favorite to win the NBA championship, we had said that the main ingredient for the feat would be the experience of the team's players on top of having the tandem of Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal.

But I have to admit that there was one very crucial element that I missed. And this was the most obvious factor that gave Miami its first ever NBA title. The championship boiled down to who had the "bigger heart" to win it all. After being down 0-2 in the series, I guess it's already academic that we don't need a stethoscope to see how big Miami's heart is. When two teams are fairly even in terms of manpower match-ups, statistics and win-loss records, the team with the bigger heart always comes out on top. It's all about having the heart to win. Having a big heart makes one confident, full of hope and possess the kind of faith that is shock-proof, especially when their backs are against the wall.

And how is this displayed? When athletes thump their chests with their fists, they're making a big statement that they've got heart. At times, basketball players even pull one sleeve or side of their jersey to expose their chests, but this is done not to show off their chest muscles, but to "show" off their big hearts.

In sports, having a heart is not an easy thing to teach to athletes. I was searching for a term in bisaya that would best fit this description. "Kasing-kasing" is the Bisaya term for heart. But I'm not quite sure if it's proper to say that an athlete has a "kasing-kasing" for the game. In Tagalog, the term is being "buong-buo" or having a "puso." The closest thing that I could think of in bisaya is how people describe the "no fear" attitude that the best athletes carry with them. It's common to hear people say something like, "Kuyaw kaayo ning bata-a kay di mahadlok." "Way ka- hadlokan."

That, in essence, was Dwyane Wade and the rest of the Miami Heat.

Not only was Miami down 0-2, they were also trailing Dallas by 13 points with 6:30 left in Game 3, and still came out on top. They were down by 12 points in the third quarter of the pivotal Game 5, but did they lose hope and give it all up?

And who can forget Game 6? Shaq didn't have a great game, and neither did Gary Payton, Antoine Walker and Jason Williams. But Wade's heart stood out in crimson red for all of us to marvel at. Right beside him were Zo Mourning, James Posey and Udonis Haslem whose hearts must've been bursting from their chests.

When Wade was the designated man to score, he made sure that he did score a basket, finding ways to take the ball strong to the hoop, challenge all defenders thrown at him, and sink crucial free throws. When Shaq had to sit down due to foul trouble, Mourning's heart stepped up (or was it his transplanted kidney?) to block a game-high five shots and defend against any Maverick who dared to walk into his turf inside the paint (he also had from 8 points & 6 rebounds in 14 minutes of play). When Wade had to pass off to a second and third option, Posey was there to bang a clutch trey from the corner despite being 0-for-3 from the three-point territory at that point of the game. Haslem swooshed two crucial mid-range jumpers aside from an offensive board and putback that surely broke the hearts of Dallas fans.

When the dust cleared, it was clear that possessing the bigger hearts made Wade and his teammates literally "will" themselves to win the championship. Second place was never in their minds as all focus was on the NBA championship. No more, no less.

I'm afraid I can't say the same for the Dallas Mavericks. Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki somehow lost their will to win in the fourth quarter of Game 6 when they didn't show that "take over the game" attitude that is expected from a team's leaders. Both were good for only four points from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and a litany of missed attempts from "soft and safe" shots from the outside. When the opportunity was there, both just couldn't step up to the plate with the confidence, will and swagger of a big-hearted champion. I hope they find their hearts asap over the summer break. They owe it to their loyal fans, team owner Mark Cuban who pampers them and signs their paychecks, and to Jerry Stackhouse, Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels who worked their butts off in the end-game.

This is where I'm looking for our world-class athletes to develop that "heart" so they can go all the way to win a championship. From Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista to Rodel Mayol, Z Gorres, Randy Suico Czar Amonsot to Malcolm Tuñacao.

They and all the budding athletes in our midst must learn a lesson from Miami's achievement. It takes more than just talent and skills to win championships. You also need to have a big heart to get the job done.

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Time-out: Gabby Malagar is asking if there's a German jinx in the NBA finals? Hmmm: Detlef Schrempf and Dirk Nowitzki...

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