Chris Bosh Says the Miami Heat Don’t Have the Same Fire and Motivation


After getting embarrassed at home last night, Chris Bosh admitted that the defending champion Miami Heat have yet to find the motivation to play their best basketball. This echoes comments made by teammates Udonis Haslem and LeBron James. Per Fox Sports: “Pat Riley is one of the greatest coaches ever. But he only once won back-to-back titles. There’s a reason for that. It’s very hard to do. Riley, who has coached teams to five NBA crowns, calls it the Disease of More. After a team wins a championship, Miami forward Shane Battier said Riley has told him that guys want ‘more playing time, more shots, more glory.’ Maybe it’s not the Disease of More on the Heat since they seem to be a pretty unselfish bunch. But perhaps it’s the Disease of Malaise considering it’s much more difficult to get motivated after winning a title. […] It’s clear the Heat (12-5) haven’t been as hungry this season as they were in 2011-12, when they were driven by the devastating loss to Dallas in the 2011 NBA Finals. Just ask Miami center Chris Bosh. ‘Yes, it’s impossible to have that same fire, that same hunger,’ Bosh admitted. ‘The hunger changes, but we don’t have the same motivation and we have to find different motivations now. And I think that motiviation is always just trying to be the best and sometimes you got to be knocked down a few times in order to get that back.'”