The Basketball Diaries - Miami Turn the Heat up on Chicago

Today I sit at my desk on the 26th floor of my hotel and as I look out of the window I see a clear blue sky, crystal clear waters and in the distance the towering structures that make up the Miami Beach skyline. As you can imagine this is not normally where I find myself on a Monday afternoon. Fortunately I was the lucky person at the Sportsvibe office who was asked to come out to the States to cover the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls.

As a Bulls fan I could barely contain my excitement as I realised I would be able to watch the youngest MVP in the history of the NBA, Derrick Rose, and Brixton's very own Luol Deng in action against possibly the most talked about side since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal joined forces at the LA Lakers.

The Bulls weren't just facing another side, they were coming up against the talented trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Three players that were attempting to form their own dynasty just three years after the Heat finished the season with the worst record in the NBA when they lost 67 games and won just 15. This was going to be a serious contest.

With the teams tied at 1-1, the third game at the American Airlines Arena was going to be incredibly important. The Heat would have the pressure of an expectant crowd, while the Bulls would attempt to become the first team to win in Miami since the start of the post-season.

Arriving at the arena I was able to head straight to the Chicago Bulls dressing room where, if you are fortunate, the players will give you a unique insight into the pressure that comes with playing in the finals. On this occasion neither Derrick Rose or Luol Deng were on hand, but I did sneak a quick photo of Rose's jersey and have time to admire his rather expensive looking watch.

Next it was a short walk to the incredibly opulent dressing room of the Miami Heat. Over-sized leather seats and plush carpets greeted you, but once again the players were nowhere to be seen. Not to worry, the game was fast approaching and the 20,000 fans packed inside the frankly beautifully set arena werebeginning to make some serious noise.

After making my way to my seat I was slightly overawed. It wasn't just the noise, but the complete sensory overload. Fireworks and flames greet the players as they are introduced onto court with lights dimmed and the music blaring. I sensed this was going to be a true reflection of what American sports do so well. They put on a show, and boy, I was not let down.

Aside from the stars on show, the experience is about much more than just the game. All of the fans are encouraged to deck themselves out in white, with free t-shirts given to every member of the crowd, while the music tells them exactly when to cheer or boo. The cheerleaders do a superb job of whipping the crowd up into a frenzy and before too long you find yourself shouting out with the crowd, DEFENCE, DEFENCE, DEFENCE.

While the action is fast and furious, there are a number of short breaks that allow the fans to interact even more. These included the Papa John pizza dash in which cheerleaders handed out free slices of pizza, the Clapometer, which encourages the crowd to scream at the top of their lungs and my personal favourite the Miami Heat Golden Oldies. An OAP dance group that gyrates to the sounds of Jay Z and Kanye West. Only in America.

As a long-time Bulls fan, the game did not go the way I wanted as Miami led from the outset and never looked like throwing away their advantage. Team GB star Deng did his best to keep James and Wade quiet, but it was the quiet member of the trio that grabbed the headlines. Bosh, who his teammates shockingly revealed likes to read books before a game, was the man that made the difference as he claimed 34 points to help Miami win the match 96-85.

By the time the game finishes, at a little after 11pm, you are left feeling totally exhausted. Your senses have taken a pounding and you now fully understand why American sports fans are so impassioned. Luckily I will be doing it all over again on Tuesday night. Let's Go Bulls.

Get a taste of top class basketball in the UK when the WNBA's Atlanta Dream play the Great Britain women’s basketball team at the MEN Arena on Sunday 29 May. Tickets are available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk. Follow the NBA in the UK at www.facebook.com/nbauk.

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