The Wildcard’s Spontaneous Ruminations on the NBA Finals
Nick Robinson
Well, the best team won in the end. I don’t think many will argue that. Miami took the opportunities that came to them; while San Antonio will be rueing their owned missed chances. It was a great series, one for the ages, the most competitive since at least Boston and LA went seven games a few years back. But the Heat were the best team all season. They’ve earned this.
When LeBron hit that jump shot to make it a two possession game with 29 seconds left, and effectively sealed the title, he also secured his legacy. With that shot, and the championship and MVP award that came with it, he is surely now untouchable. He was outstanding today, as he so often is in deciding games. Long gone are the choking taunts, and his talent is impenetrable. The jump shot was his closest thing to a weakness on attack once, but no longer. He can actually do it all: Flawless offense, brutal and effective defence (seriously limiting Tony Parker’s production), clutch plays and intelligent decisions. A few years back he would have passed up that jumper, but it was telling that he held it and ensured that the defining moment of the game was his alone. And he nailed it. As Magic Johnson said afterwards, the only question now is not of his deserving a mention with the immortals, but just where he’ll finish up amongst them.
You have to feel for the Spurs though. They competed so bravely, especially today after the heartbreak of game 6. They had the talent to topple Miami, but it just didn’t fall for them. How different would this game have been if Duncan had hit that late layup to tie the game, or if Leonard’s go-ahead three with 80 seconds to go had landed? Tim Duncan knew how crucial that miss was. His frustration afterwards was clear and that from a player with the coolest of cool temperaments.
Ultimately the Spurs lost this in game 6. You don’t get that many chances to seal a championship and you cannot waste them. There is no guarantee that another will ever arise. That loss was so crushing. They choked, plain and simple. With 25 seconds remaining, they led by 5. You CANNOT let that slip away. Imagine the emotional turmoil that must follow a loss like that! Teams simply don’t recover after that kind of thing. These Spurs will be feeling it for a long time. (Speaking of famous chokes)
Have we seen the last of Manu Ginobli? He came up big in game 5, but was awful in 6, and somewhere in between the two today. With thoughts of retirement already floating around, will the Argentine return for another go? Does he have it in him?
Similarly, I think that was the end of the championship window for the Spurs. Duncan is still playing at a great level but for how much longer? He’s two years older than Ginobli. I reckon 2-3 more years with depleted production. Tony Parker is elite, but this team is aging and this season will have taken a lot out of them. Physically and emotionally. I don’t think they’ll be back here with this squad.
Kawhi Leonard is a player for the future though. He’ll be the face of this franchise one day and should be an all-star maybe as soon as next season. What a behemoth of a player.
There is no better coach in the NBA than Gregg Popovich. Only Phil Jackson has a better resume this era. And what a supremely classy bloke too. He gets a rough go of it sometimes for his grumpy, reticent press conference persona, but watching him personally congratulate the Heat players, when he must have been feeling absolutely distraught, was a true act of grace.
I’m a firm believer that superstars win championships. When the going gets tough, that’s when the great players step up, and it is those occasions that they are remembered for. LeBron stepped up huge today with 37 points and 12 rebounds, and so did Dewayne Wade. When their team needed them the most, they were there. That’s greatness.
Finally, a curious point from Erik Spoelstra (a much better coach than he sometimes gets credit for), who claimed that this was the toughest series that this Miami Heat squad had ever played. A fair and gracious point maybe, but I do seem to remember the mighty Dallas Mavericks toppling LeBron and company in 2011.
Next up for the NBA is the draft in a week. Good luck to Steven Adams who’ll become the first New Zealander ever drafted. Bring on next season!