Inside The Heat

Bill Simmons Thinks Miami Heat Culture Died At This Moment

Shandel Richardson

Nov 20, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) brings the ball downcourt in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Nov 20, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) brings the ball downcourt in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
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For the past several years, the Miami Heat have prided themselves on the term "Culture."

It has helped them become one of the most successful organizations in the NBA. It is, if you will, their way of life.

Media personality Bill Simmons recently questioned if this culture still exists on his podcast on The Ringer. He seems to think it died the day the Heat failed to land Damian Lillard in the 2023 offseason. After saying the Miami was his preferred destination, Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers could not agree to a trade deal.

It led to Lillard joining the Milwaukee Bucks.

"Since then, the 2024 New York Knicks kind of stole their identity," Simmons said. "They had a terrible year. [Pat] Riley got mad at [Jimmy] Butler. The [Terry] Rozier trade turned out to be kind of blah ... Bam's [Adebayo] gone backward. I assume that's going to turn around but I'm just pointing out he doesn't look like a top 15 player in the league. Nikola Jovic, who they were all excited about, blah."

The Heat are coming off a first-round loss to the Boston Celtics. This year, they have started slow despite solid play from Tyler Herro.

"They're getting 24 points a game and a 49, 45, 88 shooting season from Tyler Herro and as I'm taping this on a Thursday, they're 6-7," Simmons said. "Boston and Cleveland seem like they're miles ahead of them."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here