Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra know one thing about motivation and developing a winning culture, which is why they’ve been so successful in leading the Miami Heat together.
There are countless stories about Riley and his pitches to free agency, and coach Spoelstra isn’t the one to mince his words when tough love is needed in that locker room.
Their tactics were again on full display ahead of tonight’s Game 7 in Boston, as NBA insider Andy Slater recently reported that the team scheduled a flight to Denver — not Miami — right after the game.
The Heat are planning to fly to Denver after tonight’s game 👀👀👀👀
(Via @AndySlater ) pic.twitter.com/v1incaQGRr
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) May 29, 2023
The organization is clearly trying to send a stern message and flip the switch ahead of their most crucial game of the season: If you don’t think we’re going to win tonight, don’t even bother getting on that plane.
The Heat have already proven that they’re capable of taking down the best teams in the league; they’ve done it multiple times, and not just in this year’s playoffs.
Coach Spoelstra is one of the top-notch tacticians in the league as well, and he knows he needs to be at his best tonight if he wants to put his team in a position to avoid another heartbreaking loss.
It’s not usual to see a team like the Heat or a coach like Spoelstra losing four games in a row, let alone to the very same rival.
And if this isn’t motivating enough for them to get the job done, then nothing will do the trick at this point.
NEXT: Kendrick Perkins Says A Game 7 Loss Would Hurt Jimmy Butler's Legacy
