While LeBron James and the rest of the jubilant Miami Heat took to South Beach to celebrate their second consecutive NBA title with an all-night party, stores across South Florida were packed with diehard fans purchasing on-demand White Hot merchandise as many of them geared up for Monday morning’s Parade of Champions in Downtown Miami.
Finally able to let loose after a hotly contested NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, James brought his best moves to celebrate his team’s victory inside Bamboo Nightclub on South Beach. Fellow teammate Chris Bosh stepped in with the DJ for a spin.
Outside the nightclub, adoring fans crowded the sidewalks under the lit-up marquee welcoming James and Dwyane Wade, all of them hoping to party with the NBA world champs. “You know, I’m here to celebrate, enjoy our time,” said a young man wearing a white T-shirt.
West Miami-Dade bakery Divine Delicacies created a 350-person multi-layered red velvet and vanilla rum cake to commemorate the occasion. Part of the cake resembles the trophy that Miami now owns for another year.
LeBron James posted a video on Instagram Saturday afternoon in which he misplaces his trophy and refers to it as his “kid.” “Don’t you ever run away like that from me again,” he said as he scolds the golden prize and kisses it.
The Miami Heat Store inside the American American Airlines was one of several top businesses were admirers of the celebrated basketball team stopped by on Saturday to pick up any kind of Heat gear they could get their hands on.
“LeBron, D. Wade, thanks for an awesome season,” said shopper Jessica Junquera inside the store as she waved a Miami Heat foam finger. She said she purchased “tons of fan gear for everyone in the family.”
For Heat fan Betty Jimenez, the series’ outcome was a foregone conclusion. “There was no doubt, though, that we were going to win,” she said.
Jimenez admitted she may have gone a little overboard in her monetary show of White Hot support. “Probably too much, but it doesn’t matter, because it’s the Heat and they deserve it. They gave us a great season and they deserve everything.”
Next up for Heat fans: the Parade of Champions, which will launch Monday at 11 a.m. sharp from the intersection of Southwest Eighth Street and Second Avenue. The parade will head east on Southwest Eighth Street through Brickell, make the turn onto Biscayne Boulevard and head north to the American Airlines Arena.
You can visit http://worldredeye.com/2013/06/miami-heat-celebration-at-bamboo-2/ for more Miami Heat pictures. The photo at the top of this article was provided through the courtesy of Seth Browarnik/Worldredeye.com.