PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Day two of Heat training camp saw a different scene at the end of the morning practice. Players genuinely looked exhausted. Erik Spoesltra admitted as much by saying that it was the toughest practice so far in camp.
Meantime, Dwyane Wade laughed it off by saying most guys weren't around for the media because they were off getting iced. We did see a lot of players stretching and laying down, as the grind of this four day camp reached it's mid-point.
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Here are more tidbits from today's early session:
--Chris Bosh said that staying intense and competitive in practice isn't too difficult because the team is so naturally competitive. Not many jobs are on the line, but Bosh says every player just competes hard because that's in their nature as a team.
--Spoesltra praised new assistant coach Juwan Howard. Spo says Howard has been the first coach every morning to get to the bus, and it's always been in his nature to teach. He believes the hardest step for Howard in being a coach has already passed, and that's fighting the urge to want to get the ball and play.
--Howard made it clear his goal is to become a head coach one day, but he knows he will have to work hard. He always saw himself as a coach and mentor in his final few seasons, but he'll need to learn to deal with players differently as a coach, instead of a teammate.
--When asked why teammate Dwyane Wade doesn't have a tattoo, like so many others on the team, LeBron James said, "he's his own man. And he's also afraid of needles."
--Players continued to praise the experience of being in the Bahamas. Norris Cole said the hospitality of the people has been amazing, and Shane Battier joked that he's seen Heat fans everywhere he's gone. "One guy told me he's a Heat. I've never heard it that way. I'm a Heat," Battier said.