Air Jordan Overpowers Concerns for Heat Fans

In the gathering dusk, the towers of downtown hotels formed a majestic backdrop to the entrance of the Miami Arena. The lights on the Metrorail station immediately to the west and the downtown MetroMover immediately to the south glowed against the darkening sky. Ten minutes before the gates were to open for the National Basketball Association game between the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls, all was peaceful on the Overtown front.

Too peaceful. The parking lots around the building were virtually deserted. Perhaps 50 people lounged on or below the stairs leading to the main entrance. “People are worried,” conceded a security guard. “But they’ll be here. They’re going to look at their $25 tickets and say, ‘The hell with it.’ Curiosity will bring them out.”

Two nights earlier, a game between the Heat and the Phoenix Suns had been postponed shortly before tipoff as the result of the escalating violence in the area around the Arena. It marked the first time in NBA history that a game had been postponed for other than inclement weather or the assassination of a president. This was an instance in which the climate was too hot.

“See that lot over there?” said officer John Dolan of the Metro-Dade Police, pointing just across the street. “Cars in there were smashed. One was overturned. It was important for them to play Tuesday night to show they were in control.”

The truth of the matter, however, was that they were not in control. And the Miami City Manager, Cesar Odio, and Miami Police Chief, Perry Anderson, recommended that the Arena be closed.

By 6:30 Thursday night, there still appeared to be more uniformed personnel than civilians in the plaza outside. Dolan and a partner, who said, “You can also call me John Dolan,” were among the six county police stationed at the bottom of the Metrorail station. They said it was the standard complement for each game.

However, the tactical relief force stationed on the far side of a parking lot was extraordinary. “We don’t use the term SWAT,” Dolan said. “It sounds too militaristic. We call it ‘Special Response Force.”’ The “other” Dolan pointed beyond the lot. “Don’t walk over there,” he warned. “I’m serious. You might be surrounded by some angry people.”

A train stopped at the overhead station and people streamed down the stairs. Hugo Hammond, the athletic director at Southwest Miami High School, had his 8-year-old daughter, Brandi, in tow. “If there were any problems,” he said, “I wouldn’t have brought her.” He turned to his daughter. “Who are we going to see tonight?” he asked.

“Air Jordan,” she replied.

The Arena and the Heat were in their first season, but already it was clear that Michael Jordan was the biggest single draw in the facility’s brief history. “We sold out this game 18 minutes after the tickets went on public sale in October,” a Heat spokesman said. Vendors grouped in a tight circle outside offered Jordan T-shirts and posters as well as souvenirs of Super Bowl XXIII, scheduled for Sunday at Joe Robbie Stadium.

Dr. Larry Cohen, his wife and son were stopped by a television cameraman as they walked out of a parking lot. “We called up and they said they had plenty of security,” Rona Cohen said. Still, her husband said, “I’ll feel better when I get inside.”

One scalper was asking $50 for a top ticket, normally $25. Another had a few at $40. Inside, Tim Gavin said he had bought tickets at face value at a Metrorail stop 10 miles distant.

A band entertained as the seats began to fill. There were dancing girls in black-and-red leotards and a blob of a mascot named Duncan. It appeared no more than 2,000 seats were empty for the start of introductions. “Here he comes,” an expectant father said to his young son in Section 123. He sprang to his feet when Jordan’s name was announced. He drew the largest applause by a member of either team.

The crowd of 15,008 (based on tickets sold) was swelled by several members of the Cincinnati Bengals, who will meet the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. They included Ickey Woods, who has become a cult figure as much for his dancing as his ability to run the football. In his honor, the mascot donned a headband with the name Ickey and performed his version of the Ickey Shuffle during a timeout in the second period.

Not to be outdone, the ponytailed fullback made his own appearance on the court during a fourth-period timeout and did some shuffling for the fans. He was joined on the court by the Bengals’ secondary. The group’s nickname, ironically, is the SWAT team.

Jordan was almost as entertaining. Once, he attempted to toss the ball to the top of the backboard for a spectacular slam dunk. Alas, the ball clipped the rim on the way up. Jordan recovered and dunked it routinely. Still, the man scored 34 points and the Heat rallied to make the game close in the final minutes before bowing, 112-108. No one asked for a refund on the way out.