When the Miami Heat won the NBA Title last week, I can’t say I was shocked.

They had been playing well all playoffs, taking down the Knicks in four games.

They trounced the measly Pacers—I’m pretty sure even Reggie Miller was a Heat fan at that point.

With Bosh finally practicing with the team, the Miami Heat were an unstoppable juggernaut, their domination of the league, the hoisting of the Larry O’Brien trophy, the first championship of seven.

Granted, I hadn’t watched any games, nor had I really checked scores. I DID watch Sportscenter, though, and considering their non-bias, I trusted them when they crowned Miami as champions.

Wait, what?

The Heat are a game away from elimination? It can’t be. Who could dethrone the kings of the NBA?

WHAT?? That group of geezers from Boston? There’s just no way. I figured they’d be cashing in their AARP cards at a buffet right now.

Unfortunately for the Heat, heart matters in the playoffs.

Unfortunately for the Heat, so does experience.As does coaching. As does bench play.

As does hustle. As does every single thing that defines this Celtics team.

There’s a reason that the Celtics have rings. It’s the same reason the Spurs have championships.

Unfortunately for the Big Three of Miami, crowning yourselves the champs without playing a single game does not fall into that reasoning.

While I’m by no means assuming that the Celtics win this series, I AM stating that they have the will to do so—something that seems lost to both Heat players and their fans. Since the Big Three came together in 2010, assumption has plagued the Heat. The assumption that the walk to a trophy is a walk, only proves the ignorance of this team.

The assumption, written ever so discretely on Lebron’s mouth guard, that procuring a championship is a simple sixteen-game vacation only proves the ignorance of this team.

The fact that, with their backs against the wall, one game away from packing their bags, the Miami Heat’s fans are still writing Boston off as a fluke, only proves the ignorance of this team.

In all honesty, there were times when I almost believed the narrative perpetuated by the Miami Heat.

Derrick Rose’s injury and the inevitable bouncing of the Bulls from the playoffs seemed the last stop between the Heat and a trophy (or at least a Finals berth).

To put it simply, we all slept on Boston. Maybe it was the absolute neglect of their team by Sportscenter and ESPN. Maybe it was their series against the lowly Sixers (I’m still bitter) being pushed to seven games.

Whatever it was, it’s only made their success in this series that much sweeter, and should they win out, NBA fans should rejoice. Boston’s victory won’t just be over the Miami Heat. It will be a victory over the arrogance and conceit that has plagued the league for far too long.

John Downen can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].