The Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade holds the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy and LeBron James holds his most valuable player trophy after Game 5 of the NBA finals
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Sports Commentary
It has finally happened. LeBron James is an NBA Finals champion. No more jokes about LeBron having no rings. Throw the jokes out of the window because the Miami Heat are the 2012 NBA Finals champions. Why? Simple. They played as a team and they earned it.
Before the Finals began, the Thunder clearly looked to be the better team. They had an explosive point guard in Russell Westbrook, scoring champion in Kevin Durant, premier defender in Serge Ibaka, good support with James Harden, Nick Collison, and Thabo Sefolosha. The Thunder were the complete team. Aside from Miami's big three, nothing was really expected of Miami's bench. Guess you have to expect the unexpected. After Game 1, it seems as if both teams switched places. Miami played as a complete team and the Thunder played as if Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were enough to win.
It was hard to endure watching Oklahoma City's performance last night because of how far they have come. Seeing the growth of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant throughout the season made the image of seeing both of them hoisting the NBA Finals trophy more vivid. Did the buzz of Oklahoma City defeating Miami get to the Thunder's heads? Perhaps. They are a young team and are destined for championships. However, their all-around performance in the NBA Finals did not meet expectations. This is a resilient team, but no resilience was shown. A team with great defenders were slow to react against an older Miami Heat team. There are many things that each player needs to improve before the Thunder can get a championship. The Thunder have proven they are capable of a championship run this season, but now is the real test to how great this team can be. Will they just fold as they did during this series? No. It is inconceivable for this team to just fold even though the feeling of giving up was apparent in Game 5. Miami was expected to return to the Finals this year so what is stopping OKC from doing the same? Nothing. Oklahoma City will return for the 2012-2013 season a better team and make another run for the title and it would not be surprising if Miami is waiting for them once again.
Game 5 was the perfect display of how far Miami has come. It was no mercy from the beginning. The first score of the game was an emphatic dunk by LeBron James, indicating he was going to do whatever it took to win Game 5. His teammates followed suit. Mike Miller, The Magic Man, was absolutely phenomenal. You talk about a man with a bad back and someone who only had 8 points total in the series before Game 5 scoring 23 points. Miller's performance sealed the championship for Miami. But give credit to LeBron James. James did not make this game about himself. He was going to do whatever it took to win and if that meant giving the ball up, he would. LeBron earned a triple-double with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. A sensational performance and a class act. Tip your hat to LeBron James, even if you dislike him because he worked his behind off for this victory. You give respect where it is earned and LeBron James has earned respect from his playoff performance and there was no question he deserved the NBA Finals MVP. It was a team effort from Miami and they displayed in Game 5 why they are always picked to win it all. The only question now for LeBron and company. How many more rings? Well for now its not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7. It is just 1 championship, but a well deserved championship.
Could it be a dynasty we are witnessing? Possibly, but there is something bigger. We now have a rivalry. Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James. Oklahoma City Thunder vs Miami Heat. The feeling of a modern-day Magic vs. Bird can be seen in Durant vs. LeBron. These two young phenoms will meet again in the NBA Finals. Kevin Durant's time will come. This year, it was LeBron's time, but how about next year? A full season is ahead and many changes will occur before the season begins. For now, congratulations to the Miami Heat. You earned this victory, but beware, because this rivalry has only just begun. Wait and see.
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AP photo
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The Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade holds the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy and LeBron James holds his most valuable player trophy after Game 5 of the NBA finals
