Filipino boxer Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) first Asian-American head coach, Erik Spoelstra, both know about the expectations in sports, which can dilute a victory or magnify the sting of a loss.

Blessed with one of the best lineups in basketball history, Spoelstra earns criticism even in victory, while Pacquiao must always box like the best pound-for-pound fighter he is reputed to be, lest he lose a fight in the eyes of the judges. Both men earned vindication of a sort from those expectations last month, though only one found it in victory.

In Fortune magazine’s list of the highest-paid athletes, two boxers stood at the top: Floyd Mayweather and Pacquiao. Both fighters collected big money in two fights over the past year, but they have yet to meet in a much-anticipated superfight. Some say the massive potential payday behind such a fight may have influenced the decision of the judges in Pacquiao’s June title fight against Timothy Bradley.

Heavily favored against the undefeated Bradley, Pacquiao looked like he’d successfully defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title, dominating the fight and forcing his opponent to retreat during the later rounds. But Bradley won on a controversial split decision.

Amid widespread protest, the WBO rejudged the fight and concluded that Pacquiao had, in fact, won. His victory, however, was hollow: They refused to award Pacman the belt and Bradley remains the welterweight champ.

The initial decision could have been influenced because they expected Pacman to fight better, but some boxing fans claim Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank, is behind it all. To avoid splitting the take with another promoter, Top Rank mostly schedules bouts between its own boxers — Pacquiao’s last six opponents have been other Top Rank clients. Since Mayweather isn’t one of their fighters, Top Rank would make more money with an all-Top Rank Pacquiao vs. Bradley rematch.

So, the theory says, Top Rank orchestrated the bizarre decision. Whether or not this theory is true, the loss gives Mayweather another reason to dodge Pacquiao, since Bradley now holds the WBO title. And Pacquiao may have to fight lesser boxers in the meantime, making the WBO’s decision a bitter redemption for him.

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra savored a much sweeter kind of redemption in June.

Much has been expected of Spoelstra after the Heat signed LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Alongside all-star point guard Dwyane Wade, this made the 2011 Miami squad one of the most talented in league history. But chemistry was difficult to achieve, especially amid unexpected adversity in last year’s championship. After losing only one game in each of the first three rounds of the playoffs, the team fell to Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in six close-fought games.

Spoelstra and the Heat were roundly criticized for a lack of toughness and teamwork, traits they learned on a much rockier road to this year’s final.

Miami lost one game in the first round and two games in the second before running into a resilient Boston squad. After Miami won the first two games, the Celtics roared back to take the next three. Facing elimination in Boston, James ripped down 15 boards and scored 45 points — nearly half his team’s total — in a 98-79 blowout of the Celtics. James, Wade, and Bosh scored all 28 of their team’s fourth-quarter points in the deciding Game 7 to send Miami to its second straight National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals.

Their opponent, the Oklahoma Thunder, featured three young stars of its own: superstar Kevin Durant, all-star point guard Russell Westbrook, and inside threat Serge Ibaka.

The Thunder cruised through the playoffs, sweeping defending champion Dallas in the first round and dropping just one game against the Lakers in the second. The San Antonio Spurs took the first two games of the Western Conference Finals, but the Thunder won the next four to reach its first-ever NBA Finals.

In Game 1 against the Heat, the Thunder looked like they might continue that momentum. After trailing by seven points at the half, Westbook and Durant scored 29 of the Thunder’s 40 second-half points to win by nine. Miami showed its toughness in Game 2, taking an early 25-8 lead and never looking back, winning by six to even the series at one apiece.

Miami displayed its teamwork in a pivotal Game 3. The Thunder scrapped back to take a one-point lead with seven minutes remaining, but James, Wade, and Bosh scored the Heat’s next 15 points to lead the Heat to victory.

A heroic 43-point performance by Westbrook in Game 4 kept the Thunder ahead for much of the game, and a leg cramp hobbled James in the game’s final minutes. Heat teammate Mario Chalmers stepped up to score the final five points to give Miami the 104-98 victory. Their spirits crushed, Oklahoma lost Game 5 by 15 points.

Miami won its second-ever NBA title, and LeBron James won his first. Though most writers focused on LeBron’s successful quest, Spoelstra deserves praise, too, especially since expectations led to a no- win scenario for him. Failure would have meant harsh criticism, as it did last year, while victory could be explained away by his three superstar players. Any such criticism sells Spoelstra short, however.

Spoelstra designed an offense to satisfy three huge talents and built a supporting cast around them — all while under microscopic scrutiny. And he made crucial decisions during the final series, like sticking with small forward Mike Miller in the deciding Game 5. Miller’s back problems led to early foul trouble and he often looked barely able to walk, but Spoelstra stuck by him. Miller repaid his coach’s confidence by scoring 23, including shooting seven for eight from three-point range, one shy of Ray Allen’s 2010 NBA Finals record.

Spoelstra pushed all the right buttons, finally delivering on the expectations that have weighed so heavily on him. Pacquiao can only hope for such sweet redemption when he faces his next opponent — whoever that might be.