Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Random Notes About the NBA Finals
- I know we’ve heard this over and over, but does anyone still doubt that Dwayne Wade is the best player in the NBA? Even if the Mavericks had come back to win the title, Wade would still be a lock for the Finals MVP. He’s also a very likeable guy who works hard and doesn’t cop an attitude. No comparisons to you-know-who.
- While much has been made about Pat Riley being vindicated for the personnel moves he made during the off-season, Wade also proved Riley’s wisdom in insisting that Wade was off the table when he was negotiating the trade for Shaquille O’Neal.
- This is only the third time that the NBA champions and the NCAA basketball champions (Florida Gators) came from the same state. In 1989, the Detroit Pistons and Michigan Wolverines won the respective titles, as did the Golden State Warriors and UCLA Bruins in 1975. (Amazing that the Bruins and Lakers didn’t pull off the double.) What’s worth noting this year, however, is that two of the Heat starters – Jason Williams and Udonis Haslem – are Gator alumni. Haslem did it the hard way: undrafted, via the European leagues.
- Florida is supposed to be a football state, but we’ve been bringing home more hardware in other sports lately – the Gators and Heat in basketball this year, the Tampa Bay Lightning in hockey (2004), and the Marlins in baseball (2003).
- One guy you really have to be happy for is Alonzo Mourning. The guy missed some of his prime years due to his kidney problems, and just by coming back and playing in the NBA, he’s been an inspiring figure. Even after he went to play for other teams, he retained his ties to South Florida and has done a lot for the community here. Finally he has a ring, and he didn’t just come for the ride. He filled in quite well when Shaq was injured early in the season, and he came up huge on defense in the final game.
- This could be the biggest turnaround in the history of the NBA Finals. After the first two games, I seriously thought Miami would have been better represented if they had sent the team from Carol City High School. Note that they didn’t complain about the officiating or the opposition; instead they looked at themselves and took up the challenge.
- As I’m typing this, I’m watching news coverage, and while the celebrations are numerous and loud, there are is very little trouble. There are plenty of people around the arena, and the police have several paddy wagons at the ready, but so far they haven’t been needed. Traffic, however, is a mess.
- The 18-year gap between titles for Pat Riley is the longest for a coach in NBA history. Consider this: The season in which Riley won his last title with the Lakers was the same season the Heat set an NBA record by their first 17 games in their first season.
- I have heard very little mention of Stan Van Gundy, who probably deserves a bit of credit. But the fact that nobody seems to be talking about him does raise some questions about just how voluntary his resignation really was.
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Honestly, I didn't really care who won. For one, I am not originally from Dallas, so I hold no allegence. For two, I lived in Chicago at the time of the Bull's heyday. Everytime they would win the championship, there was always some sort of group that would take advantage of the excitement, and riot and loot somewhere in the city. It kind of turned me off to championship wins. I'm glad things stayed fairly calm there.
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