The journey began 12 months ago when the Miami Heat completed a trade for former NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler. It was at that time that many NBA pundits chastised Butler for prioritizing destination over contention.  Other pundits indicated that the Heat were capped out and couldn’t make a major deal before Butler arrived.

Twelve months later, Jimmy Butler, Heat President Pat Riley and the 2020 Miami Heat as a whole proved everyone wrong as Wednesday night they will face off against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 NBA Finals.

What a year Los Angeles Lakers F LeBron James had. Despite being a lighting rod off of the court at times, James had arguably one of his best seasons in years as he led the Lakers past the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets en-route to his finals match-up against the team that taught him how to become an NBA Champion.

In a sense one team was expected to be here while the other wasn’t.  The Miami Heat, despite being looked upon as grand underdogs, truly believe that they belong.  Years ago the Power of Belief was a topic of a post here at The Hardwood Nation and it is real.

It’s been that belief system, that culture, that has motivated the Heat to be the team of the NBA’s Orlando Bubble. Again, they were not expected to be in this position, this Finals, facing this King or as some say a false prophet.