Dec 28, 2013; Portland, OR, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (left) celebrates with center Chris Bosh (1) after Bosh hit the game winning shot against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. The Heat won the game 108-107. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-Imagn Images Steve Dykes-Imagn Images

Former Heat Guard Highlights 'Sacrifice' As Key To Championship Success

Originally posted on Miami Heat on SI | By Branson Brooks | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 6:58 PM ET

The Miami Heat have built a culture where buying in isn't optional, it's the price of chasing a championship.

Sacrifice was the mantra during the Heat's 2012 and 2013 title runs, a guiding principle that kept the locker room focused and the team operating as a cohesive unit. During an , former Miami guard Mike Miller shared how the team's discipline played a major role in their championship success.

"It's basically sacrifice, commitment, discipline, and expectation," Miller said Wednesday on Paul George's podcast. "All the things you want. You want the expectations. When LeBron and those guys get on stage and say we're going to win eight, those expectations are there, but then you have to go out there and sacrifice and do it."

Mike Miller recalls his first taste of Heat Culture after arriving in Miami:

"I showed up with a normal Nike t-shirt on, they're like, 'Nah, get out ... Heat t-shirt [only].'" pic.twitter.com/baOLZRXmbe
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) June 4, 2025

Many Heat players had to sacrifice to reach the mountaintop, including Chris Bosh, who went from being a premier go-to scorer with the Toronto Raptors to embracing a third-option role with Miami.

Miller credited the Heat organization for getting players like Bosh to fully buy into their roles, even when they didn't necessarily know it would lead to championship glory.

"Sacrifice is easy if you know the outcome, but you don't know the outcome. So, they get you the discipline and the understanding, the commitment and the buy-in. I don't think anyone does it better than they do and it does help," Miller said.

He then recalled his first glimpse of Heat culture upon arriving in Miami.

"I'll never forget, I show up on a bus with a normal Nike T-shirt on and they're like, nah, get out...Heat T-shirt [only]. I'm thinking to myself some like this is easy, that's simple," he said.

However, the Heat were teaching Miller early to focus on the small details, the kind of habits that truly separate good teams from great ones.