Injuries have struck the Miami Heat’s stars before the season even begins.
All-Star Tyler Herro underwent ankle surgery following an offseason workout and is expected to miss 8-12 weeks, while center Bam Adebayo left Monday’s preseason game vs. the Atlanta Hawks with a knee injury in the third quarter and did not return.
But when it comes to the Heat, there’s no mountain they can’t climb.
The club has built a reputation around discipline and effort, a system where nothing is given and everything must be earned. It’s a culture that pushes them to improve and holds everyone accountable.
“My first week, [I] was in there working hard,” Heat guard Myron Gardner said at the team’s Media Day availabilities. “So I’m like, ‘oh yeah, they don’t play.’ It’s hard work each and every day. It really don’t feel like no light days.”
For the Heat, development is part of the culture. Every player — rookies and veterans — knows what’s expected the moment they walk through the gym doors.
The environment inside the organization is all about growth and consistency. The work habits, not talent, are what keep players around coach Erik Spoelstra in Miami.
“The way that everybody works from top to bottom, weight room, on the court, in the training room, just a bunch of hard workers, I think that’s the testament to the culture they have built,” Heat guard Ethan Thompson said. “It’s like iron sharpens iron.”
Also, communication and accountability are key parts of the Heat’s development approach. Players helping each other to grow is just as important as following the coach’s message.
“Sometimes, they need one of their fellow peers to tell them in a different way that probably a coach can’t,” Heat forward Keshad Johnson said. “It’s about making each other knowledgeable.”
The team’s atmosphere motivates everyone to show up and match the energy in the room. Seeing coaches and teammates working just as hard makes it impossible to slack off.
“You see the energy of everybody,” Gardner said. “Everybody is ready to work, even the coaches working out and doing stuff.”
Every time players walk into the Heat facility, even though they share bonds and friendships, once they step on the court, it’s all business. With only one game left before the regular season starts, several players without guaranteed spots are fighting for a two-way contract.
Coach Erik Spoelstra said that kind of attitude is what defines the Heat’s identity. He wants every player to embody the toughness and work ethic that has become the brand of the franchise.
“Our fan base sees it, when you’re either in this arena or you throw on a game on TV that you see a Miami Heat team, we don’t have to advertise it,” Spoelstra said. “We know what is the level of competitiveness, toughness, grit, physicality, the fan base has to see that.”
The message is simple, the spot on the roster must be earned.
“This is not just, how many points or stats can I get,” Spoelstra added, “it’s how can you impact winning to a standard that we expect with the Miami Heat.”
Miami will open the regular season at home against the New York Knicks on Oct. 26.
