After a nail-biting Game 4 between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat are still one win away from reaching the NBA Finals.
This means Miamians are ready to celebrate the team’s journey to the finals the best way they know how — by keeping their pots and pans close.
After an Eastern Conference Finals win, fans come out honking car horns, waving flags, and making noise with spoons and cazuelas all across the city. From outside of the Kaseya Center to Bird Road, Hialeah and Little Havana, the last time fans took to the streets over the Heat’s victory was in 2020, when they defeated the Boston Celtics and would go on against the Los Angeles Lakers.
But where does this unique celebration originate from? Many agree this “pots and pans tradition” is a Latino thing. In Cuba, banging on pots and pans has been done over protesting power outages or in response to a political situation. For Dominicans, when a baseball team wins, they take to the streets with pots and pans.
“Percussion is important. That’s why we celebrate with the pan playing. That’s how we do it here in Miami,” iconic producer and percussionist Emilio Estefan told WSVN 7 News back in 2013, when the Heat would go on to have one of their best seasons.
One of the most legendary gathering places for celebration is at La Carreta, located on Bird Road and 87th Avenue.
Miami police are preparing for the frenzy that’s to come this year, but Chief Manny Morales said he expects all Heat fans will celebrate in a safe and respectful manner, according to CBS News Miami.
“We can see large crowds, pots, and pans, people celebrating. So, it’s more of a traffic concern than a safety issue, but just be mindful. If you’re out there, celebrating, you can easily fall out of the vehicle. We have seen some individuals riding in the back of pickup trucks with small children, so just be mindful that this is not only illegal but incredibly dangerous. So just party and celebrate responsibly,” he said.
Miami actress Jenny Lorenzo said it best in a tweet:
Currently holding a 3-1 series lead, if the Heat win this Eastern Conference, it’ll be their 7th trip to the Finals in franchise history. Game 5 against the Celtics starts Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. To see the full schedule, click here.