Let'sGoHome. (Photo via bomani_jones on Instagram)
While arguments about which city's or team's fans often tend to be a dumb parochial domain and while it sometimes feels like Miami catches a BadSportsTown rap that's a bit overstated I think we can agree that leaving an NBA Finals game before its completion is kind of a bad look. Let alone a game in which your hometown team would be eliminated with a loss. Let alone a game in which your hometown team fought back from seven points down at the start of the fourth quarter that was a one possession affair from just inside the eight minute mark all the way into the final minute and in which said hometown team held a three point lead with less than two minutes remaining.
And yet a number of members of the AmericanAirlines Arena faithful on hand to cheer for the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs did choose to exit with the game still in the balance in the final minute. And based on the escalator shot above shared by ESPN's Bomani Jones late in the fourth quarter and the commentary of several others on the scene it was a fairly large number
Mass exodus. Gotta beat traffic you know
Dan Le Batard Show ( LeBatardShow) June 19 2013
So many people have left that I'm honestly embarrassed for this city. Dan Le Batard Show ( LeBatardShow) June 19 2013
I'm happy for the 2 000 or so Heat fans who left with 30 seconds left. No traffic
Dan Wetzel ( DanWetzel) June 19 2013
Grantland's Rembert Browne captured the outpouring with the Heat down five
The real fun though came after the Heat came back from a five point deficit in the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter thanks to some critical Spurs miscues and a massive 3 pointer by Ray Allen to tie the game and send it into overtime. Suddenly some of those early exiting fans started to suspect that they'd left something at their seats that they needed to retrieve post haste. Except y'know you're not allowed to do that ... which made some AAA abandoners unhappy.
Nothing captures the scene quite like the tweets of Victor Oquendo a reporter with Miami ABC affiliate WLPG TV who saw the whole thing unfold while preparing for his evening broadcast
Fans streaming out...I'm gonna throw up Victor Oquendo ( VictorOquendo) June 19 2013
Honestly embarrassing. I'm setting up for my live shot outside the arena just watching fan after fan exit early.
Victor Oquendo ( VictorOquendo) June 19 2013
Now I'm watching horrible drunk quitting fans desperately trying to get back in. This is madness. Victor Oquendo ( VictorOquendo) June 19 2013
None of them deserve to be let in. They are pounding the glass doors. I'm all for gender equality but I'm only seeing female guards....
Victor Oquendo ( VictorOquendo) June 19 2013
Might need to call the big dogs in soon. Just sayin' Victor Oquendo ( VictorOquendo) June 19 2013
Cops finally here. Fans still pounding on the doors begging to be let in.
Victor Oquendo ( VictorOquendo) June 19 2013
BrodyLogan ThisIsChucker same fans screaming about how much they paid for their tickets by the way. Victor Oquendo ( VictorOquendo) June 19 2013
Ms_Mambo not being let in and it's glorious.
Victor Oquendo ( VictorOquendo) June 19 2013
The Heat of course went on to win Game 6 in overtime 103 100 setting up a winner take all Game 7 at AmericanAirlines Arena on Thursday.
After the game CBSSports.com's Royce Young spoke with arena staff and fans who stuck around about the premature evacuation
One worker expressed actual worry and there was a little bit of fear because of the aggressiveness some were showing.
They were saying 'I just left I just left Please ' an arena worker said. They'd run up there then they'd run back here trying different doors to see if they could get in.
Asked if there was any consideration to open the door an arena official said that was firmly against policy the doors are marked in big red letters NO RE ENTRY ALLOWED and said if the doors were opened that could only make things worse. ...
I was kind of devastated to see so many people leaving one Heat fan said. I said 'they will feel really really bad when the Heat get back in this game and win.' And they did.
A quick pro tip for those lucky enough to have tickets to attend just the 18th Game 7 in NBA Finals history Stick around. You never know what might happen.
Related video from Yahoo Sports
NBA Finals coverage on Yahoo Sports LeBron James Ray Allen rally Heat to Game 6 victory Slideshow LeBron James loses headband leads Heat to victory Watch LeBron James blocks Tim Duncan at the rim Ray Allen nails huge 3 pointer to send Game 6 to overtime
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