‘I’m excited as I’ve ever been’: Heat fans describe feelings around NBA Finals return

“Heavenly.”

That’s what Miami native and longtime Miami Heat fan, Liad Zadoc, said when asked if he could describe in one word how it feels to be a Miami sports fan at this moment.

It’s just before tip off for game three of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets and the feeling amongst fans is surreal as they haven’t touched a moment like this in nine years.

The last time was back in 2014 when Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs ousted Lebron James and the Heat in four games to bring home their first title in seven years.

And then, Miami made its way back to the Finals in 2020, but it was without the thousands of screaming fans covered in white T-shirts in the stands.

This time, it’s different.

Chile native and Heat fan Diego Arenas believes that having fans this time around plays a huge role in the team’s performance.

“It’s huge,” Arenas said. “The motivation that the players get from the fans, I think is an important factor especially in the finals. So it’s really huge that the fans can come and that the players can feel it.”

Miami native and Heat fan Joe Corderi is living his childhood dream.

“It’s a dream come true,” Corderi said. “We were never [able] to go to a Heat Finals game when we were younger, so now we’re old enough to be able to afford this kind of thing. The second they made it, I knew I had to book a flight down from New York and come here.”

Corderi even compared the Heat’s tenacity and sense of underdog-ism to his own circle of friends.

“I feel like this Heat team and this run kind of describes us as friends,” Corderi said as he gazed over at his two other friends draped in Heats gear. “We’ve always kind of been underdogs and we were never the most popular kids and now we’re just here. We’re ready for our moment.

“I did buy my plane ticket after the first three wins in Boston, so I will say I was ready for it. We’re definitely excited.”

The excitement surrounding the Miami Heat’s run to a championship, the Panthers’ success in the Stanley Cup Final, and now arguably the best player in the world, Lionel Messi, announcing Wednesday just before the game that he would be taking his talents to Inter Miami, is just what the city needs, according to Heat fan Steven Edisis.

“I love what it’s doing for the city and as a fan we want to see our team win,” Edisis said. “We’re very close.”

Some fans haven’t even stepped foot back into Kaseya Center since 2014. Miami native and Heat fan Carlos Gonzalez is one of those fans.

“I’m excited as I’ve ever been,” Gonzalez said. “I haven’t been here since 2014. It’s great for any positive attention to our hometown. I’m happy to be enjoying everything that’s going on in Miami right now, including the Panthers.”

The wait has been long, according to Heat fan and Coral Gables native Scott Hellinger.

But as a fan, it’s worth it seeing the team you grew up watching flourish to what it has become.

“We’ve been waiting a long time. We’ve had some rough years. I don’t know if you’ve seen the Instagram post of what our lineup looked like in 2014. There were a couple rough years there. But it feels good to have Jimmy and the boys competing night in and night out for a finals and a championship.”

Though the Miami Heat fell 109-94 to the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night, there’s still hope instilled in its fans.

Game 4 is this Friday in Miami at Kaseya Center at 8:30 p.m.