The 2014 NBA Finals holds a reputation as the series that ended up disbanding the Miami Heat’s iconic Big Three. The San Antonio Spurs dominated the Heat en route to their fifth championship in franchise history. Although the Spurs tantalized the basketball world with their skill, they also received a bit of external assistance, specifically in Game 1.
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San Antonio cruised through the regular season to secure home-court advantage for the postseason. They had plenty of time to prepare for the Finals, but wasn’t quite ready for the moment. However, it wasn’t the roster itself that didn’t prepare accordingly for the moment; it was the team’s venue that failed to live up to the moment.
At that time, the AT&T Center was no stranger to high-stakes games. After all, the Spurs were a perennial NBA Finals team throughout the 2000s. Unfortunately, an electrical malfunction led to an air conditioning failure. The conditions became unbearable for some players, particularly LeBron James.
The Miami Heat superstar fell victim to severe cramps, which seriously derailed his ability to perform in the game. Former Heat assistant coach David Fizdale broke the silence on what that experience was truly like.
“You know how much BS I’ve dealt with in that building,” Fizdale said on FanDuel’s Run it Back. “All of the sudden, the air conditioner cuts off in the middle of the Finals. We didn’t sign up for that.”
David Fizdale speaks on the Spurs not having AC during the NBA finals in 2014:
“You know how much BS I’ve dealt with in that building? Your asshole custodian staff all the sudden air conditioner cuts off in the middle of the finals. We’re playing in Africa bro. We didn’t sign up… pic.twitter.com/wzJ03AJ3FJ
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) February 26, 2026
Of course, nobody could’ve prepared for a malfunction of that degree. The Spurs were, however, surprisingly well adjusted, which has led to some speculation from Fizdale and the rest of the members of that Heat team.
“They got cooling rags ready, they were prepared. I’m like, ‘How are they so ready for this?’ Our guys were dehydrated, and Bron was cramping. Tim Duncan is just [running fine], something was up,” Fizdale suggested.
The Heat would go on to lose Game 1 by a score of 110-95. Unfortunately, that set the tone for the rest of the series, leading to a quick five-game conclusion.
Teams have prioritized venue excellence since this incident. At least LeBron was able to redeem himself in 2016, winning a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers and in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Heat, on the other hand, are still looking for redemption.
