LeBron James and the Miami Heat were six games short of the NBA's winning streak record. (Getty Images).

The Miami Heat’s loss in Chicago on Wednesday was their first defeat in nearly two months and snapped a 27-game win streak.

Miami had needed just seven more wins to beat the all-time NBA mark of 33 consecutive wins held by the 1971-72 L.A. Lakers.

Despite falling short in their history bid, Miami should be praised and respected by basketball fans around the world.

The NBA has long been criticized for teams not taking the regular season seriously enough, and only kicking into gear come the post-season. Even casual basketball fans often admit to bypassing most of the mid-season games and tuning in once the play-offs begin. FULL POST