The "Heat" are wound too tight for me for their own good. That figure of speech always refers to the mental, and I mean that too, but physically as well. The Culture does that. It is unforgiving--punishing-- of anything less than full 100. The "Heat" has their fans, both paying customers and cognos. They're respected. Miamians would be astonished if they showed up to the arena and there was like a game being played. They're used to the gauntlet at the Colosseum. Basketball is a game, I understand this is at the professional level, but it is still a game. You should have fun playing games. I think NBA teams that have some joie de vivre in their games play better. To me the funnest iteration of the "Heat" was that collection of dreck that went 11-31 in the first half of the season and 31-11 in the second half. Young Whiteside, James Johnson, Tyler Johnson, Dion Waiters--all overpaid, underperforming dreck. But when they made that run, I think they won 15 straight in one stretch, you could see it in their eyes and on their faces--they were elated. There's one image I will always have in my mind: Hassan just hit the game-winning shot and JJ grabbed him from behind so low that Hassan's ass was in James' face, and so hard that James' eyes were shut. "Team Joy" I called that "Heat" team.

The Splash Brothers. Never a more joyful team than the Splash Brothers. Anyway, I think the Culture is so mentally and physically demanding that it squeezes the joy out of guys.