In the NBA finals, the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat are competing for the championship trophy, but both teams feel that they haven’t received the respect they deserve. It’s common for athletes to use perceived disrespect as motivation to perform better, even if the slights are only imagined. The Nuggets’ mascot, Rocky, even made a video montage of pundits’ comments dismissing Denver’s chances of winning. Meanwhile, the Heat entered the playoffs as the eighth seed and were not expected to make it this far, but they beat top teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics to get here. Despite being the favorites, the Nuggets are not taking the Heat lightly and understand the perils of disrespecting an opponent. In Game 1, the Nuggets led by as much as 24 points, but the Heat fought back and cut the deficit to 9 points before eventually losing. Both teams are determined to earn not only the championship trophy but also the respect that they feel they deserve.
