Apparently, Miami's reputation as Vice City worried Charlotte Bobcats coach Steve Clifford just a little too much. Rather than having his team spend two free days in this tempting city of sin between playoff games, he flew his young team back to Charlotte.
Depending upon geography and the number of days between games, it's not uncommon for teams to stay in their opponent's city during a playoff series, but Clifford told the Miami Hearld that Miami's reputation for distractions played a big part in deciding to fly home.
"Let's face it -- if it were a city other than Miami, we would have been more likely to stay a couple days," Clifford said bluntly.
The Bobcats are a young team (but by no means the youngest), and the roster is largely inexperienced in the playoffs. Apparently, Clifford didn't want to risk any of his players pulling a Justin Bieber. Plus, we guess it's easier to force them all back onto a plane than trying to keep track of 15 adult men and making sure one of them doesn't sneak off to King of Diamonds or something.
This isn't the first time a coach has been publicly worried about the temptations of Miami before a big game. In 2008, the Cincinnati Bearcats were playing in the Orange Bowl and just happened to have booked rooms at the Fontainebleau for a stay that included New Year's Eve. When coaches found out that Diddy, of all people, was hosting a New Year's Eve bash at the hotel, they decided to move to a quieter inn.
The Bobcats will return to Miami this Wednesday for game two.
Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.
