Hoops Paradise: The Philippines’ Love of the Game

In Episode 8 of Four Years of Heat Israel Gutierrez talks to Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem about the Heat's sobering loss to the Spurs in the 2014 Finals. Dan Le Batard, Brian Windhorst and Rachel Nichols weigh in on the legacy of the Heat's incredible four year run and Mario Chalmers gives his view on the Big Three Heat's place among the best teams in NBA history. 

Four Years of Heat is a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA

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On Episode 7 of Four Years of Heat, Israel Gutierrez chronicles the fallout from the Ray Allen Game 6 shot, the Heat's Game 7 win and lead up to the rematch with the Spurs in the 2014 Finals. Matt Bonner and Mario Chalmers talk about the struggle to get ready for a Game 7 after the epic drama of the Game 6 Heat comeback. Shane Battier discusses his unbelievable performance in Game 7 and the satisfaction of role-players stepping up to help the team win on the biggest stage. Udonis Haslem addresses the importance of winning, but the Spurs were now the team with the chip on their shoulder.

Four Years of Heat is a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA

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In Episode 6 of "Four Years of Heat" Israel Gutierrez dissects the Heat's 2013 NBA Finals series vs the Spurs. Ray Allen talks about why he was completely prepared for hitting his epic game-tying 3-pointer in Game 6, and why a previously unnoticed violation during the final seconds of regulation could have changed everything and thrown the entire series into a tailspin. 

Four Years of Heat is a production of IHeartMedia and the NBA

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In Episode 5 of "Four Years of Heat" Israel Gutierrez goes behind the scenes of the Heat's 2012 Finals win over the Thunder, and how three weeks changed the entire public perception of LeBron James. The team hits its stride during the 2012-13 season and wins 27 in a row, with insights from Ray Allen, Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem. Plus another dramatic playoff run to the Finals in 2013.

Four Years of Heat is a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA

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In Episode 4 of "Four Years of Heat" Israel Gutierrez explores how LeBron James and the Heat battled back from the Finals loss and then the entire Big 3 experiment hinged on one game in Boston. Rachel Nichols and Brian Windhorst give incredible insights into the depths LeBron sunk to after the loss to the Mavs, and Mario Chalmers talks about the journey the Heat took through the 2011-12 season. Everything comes to a head with the Heat trialing 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals and facing a must-win Game 6 on the road vs the Celtics. Dan Le Batard helps set the scene of the pressurized game, and Udonis Haslem and Shane Battier tell stories about how they knew LeBron was ready to step-up.

Four Years of Heat is a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA 

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In Episode 3 of "Four Years of Heat" Israel Gutierrez dives deep into the Heat's 2011 run to the Finals and the crippling failure vs. the Mavs. Joakim Noah talks about the intense competition between the Heat and the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, and Brendan Haywood gives incredible insight into the Dallas game plan and motivations that stifled LeBron, Wade and Bosh and shocked the world in the NBA Finals.

Four Years of Heat is a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA

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In Episode 2 of "Four Years of Heat" Israel Gutierrez examines the fallout from "The Decision," how LeBron, Wade and Bosh had to deal with becoming the most hated team in America, the difficult start to the season that had everything being questioned, including the Head Coach, and the return to Cleveland with an atmosphere like no other game in NBA history.

Four Years of Heat is a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Four Years of Heat, the limited podcast series that goes inside the four years LeBron James spent with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh playing for the Miami Heat from 2010-14.

In Episode 1, host Israel Gutierrez, who grew up in South Florida and covered the Heat during the time for the Miami Herald and ESPN, traces the elements that brought LeBron from Cleveland to "South Beach." From the state of the Heat franchise with perspective from Dan Le Batard and Udonis Haslem, to LeBron's Olympic friendship with Wade and Bosh, to a behind the scenes interview with Jim Gray about "The Decision," to the inside story of the "Welcome Party" that went too far from reporters that were in the building.

Four Years of Heat is a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the final episode of the series, Cassidy and Nikko are joined by PBA legend and current Assistant Coach for the NBA G League's Stockton Kings, as well as ESPN and Meadowlark's Pablo Torre, to discuss what it would mean for the first born and raised Filipino player to make it to the NBA. 

Thank you for listening to the series and coming with us on this journey to explore the Philippines' basketball culture. We are grateful for everyone who sat down for an interview with us, helped us track down archive audio, and brought this story to life. 

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In 1978, the Golden State Warriors drafted 6'3" guard Raymond Townsend, the first Filipino-American in the NBA. Since then, the Utah Jazz's Jordan Clarkson and the Houston Rockets' Jalen Green have carried the torch, representing the NBA dream to Filipinos around the world. In this episode, ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth and Titan's Nikko Ramos talk with Raymond Townsend and the Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra, the first Asian-American NBA Head Coach, about their pioneering careers and the power of representation as they pave the way for Filipinos in the NBA. 

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