All day, fans shed tears in response to the touching tributes across social media. When night fell, AmericanAirlines Arena was filled with the most energy since championship trophies were last hoisted. There were video tributes, raucous cheers, No. 3s all over the building and even on the bench.
It was as close to a storybook atmosphere as you can get without a title.
All Dwyane Wade needed was a win to make it perfect.
He and his Miami Heat teammates got the job done. Wade scored 30 points and Bam Adebayo added 19 as the Heat earned a 122-99 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.