The Dolphins haven’t had a winning record in four years, and haven’t won a championship in nearly 40.
But they’re hoping their NBA neighbors can finish off Oklahoma City for the championship tonight, if only to soak up a little winning atmosphere.
“They’re battling,” guard Richie Incognito told Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “They’re a very talented group, but I think down the stretch in these playoffs they’re really showing what a tough bunch they are.
“It’s really great to see. They’ve faced adversity on all fronts and they just seem to overcome.”
The Heat actually displayed some football-style toughness in Game 4, with LeBron James playing through painful cramps and hitting a key 3-pointer late in the game.
“Would love to see LeBron get some people off his back,” tight end Anthony Fasano said. “He deserves it.”
Of course, the late nights of televised NBA playoff games doesn’t always groove with getting ready for minicamp.
Wide receiver Davone Bess admitted to falling asleep by halftime of most games, while coach Joe Philbin made it until the final 30 seconds Tuesday night before dozing off.
“That’s a late night for me,” Philbin said.
While players would like to believe there’s some sort of momentum to be gained, the reality is multi-sport championships for a city are rare.
As Berardino points out, the football Giants and Yankees won titles in 2009, and the Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins combined for seven championships in Boston the last decade.
An NBA-NFL double hasn’t been accomplished, and it isn’t likely to this year, no matter what the Heat do tonight. With James and Dwyane Wade, the local basketball team has legitimate stars, something the Dolphins have a serious lack of.