Inside The Heat

Matthew Tkachuk Says Having Miami Heat Join The Florida Panthers Would Be "Storybook" For South Florida

Matthew Tkachuk led the Florida Panthers to the NHL Stanley Cup Finals despite being the No. 8 seed

Shandel Richardson

Matthew Tkachuk Says Having Miami Heat Join The Florida Panthers Would Be "Storybook" For South Florida
Matthew Tkachuk Says Having Miami Heat Join The Florida Panthers Would Be "Storybook" For South Florida /
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Matthew Tkachuk only thought it was appropriate. 

The Miami Heat showed so much support during Florida Panthers run to the Stanley Cup Finals. So Tkachuk returned the favor by showing up for the Heat's Game 6 against the Boston Celtics. 

Both teams have a chance to make the Finals in their respective sports as the No. 8 seed. 

"It really has been incredible for me," Tkachuk said in an interview with TNT before the game. "I think back to like two or three months ago, nobody in the world thought we'd be in this position right now, let alone even make the playoffs. The fact that I'm sitting here with you guys and getting ready to play in the Stanley Cup Finals, at my first ever Heat game with them having a chance for the Finals, that's storybook for South Florida." 

Tkachuk is a bit torn on who to root for. While he is adored by the South Florida fans, he went to high school with Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. They both attended Chaminade Prep in St. Louis. 

"It's crazy that we were in the same gym class for all those years," Tkachuk said. "It's cool to say that we're both representing Chaminade and I know everybody back in St. Louis is rooting us on." 

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Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat.

TWITTER: @ShandelRich

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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

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