When discussing the best teams in NBA history, two immediately come to mind: the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, a team that won 72 games and steamrolled their way to the championship and the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors, a team that added Kevin Durant despite being able to bring back the core of the team that won 73 games. Norris Cole, however, believes that the 2012-13 iteration of the Miami Heat should receive more love.

Speaking on Theo Pinson's Run Your Race podcast by Tidal League, Cole, the man who played backup point guard minutes for the 2013 Heat team that won the championship, said that that squad should get more consideration when discussing the greatest teams in NBA history.

“Our 2013 team, I like our chances against anybody. People don't talk about that team when they start talking about the best teams [in NBA history] and all that, but I'll put our 2013 team against anybody. I like our chances,” Cole said.

Indeed, that version of the Heat was arguably the most dominant LeBron James-led team in history. During that season, James was, perhaps, at his two-way best, gaining serious consideration for the Defensive Player of the Year award all the while being the most impactful player on offense thanks to his combination of rim pressure and playmaking.

That Heat squad won 66 regular season games, and they're the proud owner of the second-longest win streak in league history, with 27. At their best, no one was stopping that team due to their combination of shooting and two-way prowess.

Alas, the 2013 Heat's playoff run was shakier than expected; after taking care of business in the first two rounds, a pesky Indiana Pacers team pushed them to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. And then when they escaped the Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs had them on the ropes, with Ray Allen needing to come up huge in Game 6 with perhaps the most clutch shot in NBA history to save their season en route to winning in seven games.

But Norris Cole is right in that this Heat team does have a chance to win against any other opponent, and that they should gain more respect for being a deeper, exceptionally well-rounded team than many remember them as.