The squeaking from the players’ shoes. The cheering and yelling of the fans. The loud music and the obnoxious buzzer that goes off every now and then. The stench of all the sweat from the players. The savory smell of popcorn. All the colorful jerseys that the fans wear in the arena.

The Chicago Bulls have been known since the 1960s, but became world-famous once Michael Jordan joined the team. MJ (Jordan) played 13 seasons with the Bulls, leading them to 6 NBA championships. He was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) 5 times. Certainly, Jordan set the team up for success, but retired in 1993.

The 2021-22 season for the Chicago Bulls has been a difficult one, but they rank second in conference (39-23). The Bulls had a 9-game winning streak, but lost it against the Mavericks (113-99).

The Bulls are well-known to the basketball community, even more so after ESPN’s 2020 documentary The Last Dance. In fact, one could argue the Bulls are the “face” of basketball, and the first team anyone thinks of when it comes to basketball. Having this popularity is good: it is important to spread the word to others so that the Bulls can strengthen their fan base in different areas of the country as well. Chicago fans are already incredibly supportive, and clearly want to see their favorite team win against whatever opponent they play.

Widely-recognized Bulls players this year include Lonzo Ball, Demar Derozan, Zach Lavine, and Alex Caruso. With COVID still at play in recent months, the team has been affected greatly, and many players had to sit out due to COVID protocol. In fact, the team had to postpone a couple of games for safety reasons. Their roster has been all over the place between signing new players, players getting the virus, and team members having to quarantine.

Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan said, “We work extremely hard, can’t take nothing for granted. We understand our task — and that’s to continue to keep getting better.”

While Chicago may be the home team, sports fans cannot overlook the Miami Heat, founded in 1988. The Heat won three NBA championships, including one in 2006, when Shaquille O’Neal led the team.

In addition to O’Neal, the Heat’s best-known player is retired athlete Dwyane Wade, who walked away from the game with 11 consecutive All-Star Game selections and 8 All-NBA Teams selections. Wade was on the Heat for 16 years, definitely leaving a mark in Miami history. Compared to Jordan, Wade is not that well-known; in fact, according to YouGov.org, a popular survey tool, Wade has a fame rating of 62%, while Jordan scores a 93%. Wade needs time to grow his legacy and fan base.

The Heat, right now, is leading the Eastern Conference 41-22.

Sports reporter Jon Conahan said, “It’s impossible to argue that the Miami Heat shouldn’t be regarded as one of the favorites to win the NBA title because of their outstanding defense.”

Conahan is right: between the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat, the better team is the Heat. While both teams are at the top, head-to-head, there is no denying the Miami Heat is having a great season because they do not have any issues with their team in terms of COVID: the Heat has all their players ready to go, compared to the Bulls, where some players quarantined for COVID. Surprisingly, Miami’s team has been able to make it to the “big leagues”, and being at the top with other well-trained teams is nerve racking. Miami has done so much to reach the place they are now, and it will be exciting to watch how they do in the rest of the season. (Of course, the Bulls have come a long way too, but the progress and achievements of the team are more noticeable for the Heat.)

Follow the Miami Heat: they are in the lead right now, and poised to perform well in the playoffs. It will be worth the while to continue watching and rooting for this great team.