The Holy One
What's really good?
Well it's finally here after one of the most exciting years in the NBA, the end has arrived.
GAME 1
Probably the most hated franchise in NBA history:
One of the best teams in the past decade yet to win a title:
So who do you got?
Dirk or LeBron?
Kidd or D-Wade?
Chandler/Marion or Bosh/Haslem?
Barea, Terry, and Peja or Bibby, Miller, and Jones?
I don't know who's going to win but I do know it'll be fun to watch.
GAME 1
Probably the most hated franchise in NBA history:
The Miami Heat
LeBron James walked through the tunnel leading from the Miami Heat locker room Monday, stepped onto the court and gave a yell. He looked down at the NBA finals logo newly affixed on the floor, smiled and nodded.
With that, it became real.
His championship chance -- the biggest reason he came to Miami -- has finally arrived.
Swept out of his only other finals appearance four years ago, James will get his long-awaited second opportunity starting Tuesday night when the Heat play host to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA's title series. After a year like no other in his life, starting with the much-criticized "Decision," his jerseys being torched in Cleveland and never-ending, intense scrutiny of his every move, the last challenge will likely prove to be the toughest of them all.
"I'm honored to be here once again," said James, who led the Cavaliers to the 2007 finals and lost in four games to San Antonio. "Now with this franchise, it's an honor. As players, we worked hard. I worked hard individually to get to this point. And I had a lot of visions of being in this moment and now it's hit me, being on that floor, seeing the championship logos and everything, the finals logos. I'm very excited."
It showed Monday.
He chatted with teammates, taking part in a long shooting contest with Dwyane Wade, Eddie House and others, looking perfectly comfortable as dozens of photographers clicked away for 30 straight minutes. By now, being in the microscope is an accepted part of the deal for James, who has been dealing with this since his high school days.
Away from the court, though, those who are around the two-time NBA MVP say his focus is even sharper than usual. Winning a title likely won't change perceptions about James. His fans will surely remain fans, his critics will surely remain critics, no matter what happens. But to him, a championship would mean everything that took place since 9:27 p.m. on July 8, 2010 -- the moment he publicly said he would join the Heat -- was all worthwhile.
"He's focused," Wade said. "Obviously, we all want it. But in a different sense, he wants this, he wants to seize this moment. And you can tell by the way he's been playing, especially in late games. He hasn't left anything to chance, whether it's guarding the other team's best player, whether it's taking big shots, doing anything it takes. That's a player that I see hungry for a championship."
He's been that way since July.
When the Heat threw that much-maligned signing party for Wade, James and Chris Bosh -- an idea that was born from the team hoping to simply welcome Wade back to Miami, those organizing the event never knowing it would be James and Bosh sharing the stage with him until less than 24 hours before the bash began -- James talked about winning title after title after title.
With that, the bar was set.
"He's been zoned in and he has that killer instinct that is warranted for the playoffs," Heat center Jamaal Magloire said. "You can see that he's willing to do whatever it takes to win."
Even his detractors likely couldn't argue that this season.
Despite sharing the ball with Wade and Bosh, James finished the season averaging 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists, numbers very comparable to what he was accustomed to posting when he was starring for the Cavaliers. To prepare for facing Miami in this series, the Mavericks have used Dominique Jones and Corey Brewer in practice, asking them to do the impossible: play like LeBron.
Mavs coach Rick Carlisle lauded their efforts.
"You are trying to simulate a guy," Carlisle said, "that many would argue is unsimulatable."
The Heat have brought out their 2006 championship trophy at times this season for motivation -- James was among the players and coaches that posed with this year's trophy at ABC's request, part of the promotional photos and videos that will be used on finals broadcasts, joking that he held it and was asked to do everything with it "besides take it home."
No extra motivation is required now, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
"Both teams know what we're playing for," Spoelstra said. "Right now, I think it's more important to stay in the moment, stay in the process."
From the very beginning, this was Miami's plan. Everything before the finals would seem like a warmup act. Wade, James and Bosh made no secret of that, all the way back to that first night they donned Heat uniforms together and rode a forklift to the top of a stage to greet 13,000 screaming fans.
Here's a reminder of what Wade said that night:
-- "We're not here to sell jerseys," he said.
Except they did that, with James having the No. 1-selling jersey this year, Wade at No. 6 on that list, and the Heat ranking third in overall sales.
-- "We're not here to pump up ratings," he said.
Except they did that, too, with the Eastern Conference finals being the most-watched series ever shown on cable.
-- "Our goal is to win championships," he said.
Here comes that chance, and for as desperate as they all are, no one likely fits that bill more than James.
He's spoken often in recent days of how getting swept by the Spurs was humbling, a driving force for him to get better over the past four years.
"I go back and look at some of those games, I look at myself and say, 'You are a much better player than you were then,'" James said. "That comes from playing games, playing postseason games, losing, winning.
"There's a lot of guys that have been in the finals, and lost and never got back. ... I'm humbled. I'm blessed that I'm able to get back to this point and be able to redeem myself for that time when I was in the finals against the Spurs."
So it's not just redemption he seeks for what's happened over the past year.
It's for what happened in 2007, too, and much more than that as well. He's long been considered one of the game's greats, but without a title, he knows that label would ring hollow.
"To be here is very humbling. It's very satisfying at this point," James said. "We want more."
With that, it became real.
His championship chance -- the biggest reason he came to Miami -- has finally arrived.
Swept out of his only other finals appearance four years ago, James will get his long-awaited second opportunity starting Tuesday night when the Heat play host to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA's title series. After a year like no other in his life, starting with the much-criticized "Decision," his jerseys being torched in Cleveland and never-ending, intense scrutiny of his every move, the last challenge will likely prove to be the toughest of them all.
"I'm honored to be here once again," said James, who led the Cavaliers to the 2007 finals and lost in four games to San Antonio. "Now with this franchise, it's an honor. As players, we worked hard. I worked hard individually to get to this point. And I had a lot of visions of being in this moment and now it's hit me, being on that floor, seeing the championship logos and everything, the finals logos. I'm very excited."
It showed Monday.
He chatted with teammates, taking part in a long shooting contest with Dwyane Wade, Eddie House and others, looking perfectly comfortable as dozens of photographers clicked away for 30 straight minutes. By now, being in the microscope is an accepted part of the deal for James, who has been dealing with this since his high school days.
Away from the court, though, those who are around the two-time NBA MVP say his focus is even sharper than usual. Winning a title likely won't change perceptions about James. His fans will surely remain fans, his critics will surely remain critics, no matter what happens. But to him, a championship would mean everything that took place since 9:27 p.m. on July 8, 2010 -- the moment he publicly said he would join the Heat -- was all worthwhile.
"He's focused," Wade said. "Obviously, we all want it. But in a different sense, he wants this, he wants to seize this moment. And you can tell by the way he's been playing, especially in late games. He hasn't left anything to chance, whether it's guarding the other team's best player, whether it's taking big shots, doing anything it takes. That's a player that I see hungry for a championship."
He's been that way since July.
When the Heat threw that much-maligned signing party for Wade, James and Chris Bosh -- an idea that was born from the team hoping to simply welcome Wade back to Miami, those organizing the event never knowing it would be James and Bosh sharing the stage with him until less than 24 hours before the bash began -- James talked about winning title after title after title.
With that, the bar was set.
"He's been zoned in and he has that killer instinct that is warranted for the playoffs," Heat center Jamaal Magloire said. "You can see that he's willing to do whatever it takes to win."
Even his detractors likely couldn't argue that this season.
Despite sharing the ball with Wade and Bosh, James finished the season averaging 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists, numbers very comparable to what he was accustomed to posting when he was starring for the Cavaliers. To prepare for facing Miami in this series, the Mavericks have used Dominique Jones and Corey Brewer in practice, asking them to do the impossible: play like LeBron.
Mavs coach Rick Carlisle lauded their efforts.
"You are trying to simulate a guy," Carlisle said, "that many would argue is unsimulatable."
The Heat have brought out their 2006 championship trophy at times this season for motivation -- James was among the players and coaches that posed with this year's trophy at ABC's request, part of the promotional photos and videos that will be used on finals broadcasts, joking that he held it and was asked to do everything with it "besides take it home."
No extra motivation is required now, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
"Both teams know what we're playing for," Spoelstra said. "Right now, I think it's more important to stay in the moment, stay in the process."
From the very beginning, this was Miami's plan. Everything before the finals would seem like a warmup act. Wade, James and Bosh made no secret of that, all the way back to that first night they donned Heat uniforms together and rode a forklift to the top of a stage to greet 13,000 screaming fans.
Here's a reminder of what Wade said that night:
-- "We're not here to sell jerseys," he said.
Except they did that, with James having the No. 1-selling jersey this year, Wade at No. 6 on that list, and the Heat ranking third in overall sales.
-- "We're not here to pump up ratings," he said.
Except they did that, too, with the Eastern Conference finals being the most-watched series ever shown on cable.
-- "Our goal is to win championships," he said.
Here comes that chance, and for as desperate as they all are, no one likely fits that bill more than James.
He's spoken often in recent days of how getting swept by the Spurs was humbling, a driving force for him to get better over the past four years.
"I go back and look at some of those games, I look at myself and say, 'You are a much better player than you were then,'" James said. "That comes from playing games, playing postseason games, losing, winning.
"There's a lot of guys that have been in the finals, and lost and never got back. ... I'm humbled. I'm blessed that I'm able to get back to this point and be able to redeem myself for that time when I was in the finals against the Spurs."
So it's not just redemption he seeks for what's happened over the past year.
It's for what happened in 2007, too, and much more than that as well. He's long been considered one of the game's greats, but without a title, he knows that label would ring hollow.
"To be here is very humbling. It's very satisfying at this point," James said. "We want more."
VS
One of the best teams in the past decade yet to win a title:
The Dallas Mavericks
In essence, perceptions breathe of the past, they are preconceived notions we perceive as living traits. These Dallas Mavericks could not thrive, could not find their way through a window believed to be closed, because previous versions had failed to do so. But, these are not those Mavs.
The evolution of the Heat's roster is highly publicized. Few have failed to notice the additions of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, as James made certain of with his ill-conceived, self-aggrandizing television special. The Heat further pushed the envelope with the first ever preseason championship celebration; humility has little to do with the presentations of Hollywood, and so were the ways of the admittedly "Hollywood" self-congratulatory show put on by the newly formed "Miami Thrice."
These displays of spectacle polarized onlookers, driving most to either love or hate the characters involved. Few lingered in the middle ground.
Dallas took a road parallel to the Heat's, but with a strikingly different approach. Where Miami sped to sudden revelation in a bright red Ferrari, the Mavs reached the same destination packed into a steady, yet reliable station wagon even if the driver was occasionally emotional and outspoken (Mark Cuban).
Just as it is with the Heat, where there are only two holdovers from that championship team on the court (Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem), only two players remain (Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry) from the Dallas squad that watched their hopes build to a heart-pounding apex through more than 11 quarters of Finals' basketball, when a 3-0 series lead over the Heat was near certainty.
Rather than a televised special, and the inherent look-at-me antics, Dallas slowly swapped out the body supporting their head.
Gone are Marquis Daniels, Adrian Griffin, Josh Powell and other role players. Gone were Devin Harris, Desagana Diop and the already-retired Keith Van Horn in a deal to acquire Jason Kidd. Gone was Jerry Stackhouse as part of a four-team deal to bring Shawn Marion to Dallas. Josh Howard; gone in a move that returned Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood. And, the last of the core to find his exit, Erick Dampier (and his expiring contract) was off to Charlotte for Tyson Chandler.
Other than the deal with Washington for Butler and Haywood, each move drew some level of criticism. The Mavs outbid themselves with draft picks for Kidd, and made the mistake of giving up a young up-and-coming point guard for one long past his prime. They gave Shawn Marion too much money. They failed to meet the high expectations on the return for Dampier.
Yet, a far cry from that team who came up short in 2006, here they stand.
"This isn't the same team," Brendan Haywood said after the Mavs clinched their Finals berth. "We've added a lot of different pieces. The only two guys off that 2006 team are basically Dirk and Jet. So, this is a totally different team and they're looking at things that happened to Mavs in the past. Maybe look at what we did present day, and that's why we're at this point. So many people have slept on us."
The roster had been overturned, but the team was still bound by many on the outside to the demons haunting the failures of the franchise's recent past. Unjustly, this roster was assigned labels they had not earned. They were given the name of their former.
Those Mavs were 2-16 in playoff games officiated by Danny Crawford from 2001 to 2010. These Mavs are now 2-0 this postseason with Crawford holding a whistle.
Perceptions promised that those Mavs were mentally frail, unable to shoulder the weight of the added pressure arriving with the playoffs. Those Mavs would sink themselves after an improbable, and heartbreaking loss. These Mavs have proven to be remarkably resilient. When Brandon Roy proclaimed the reports of his demise to be premature and led the charge to erase a 23-point Dallas lead and steal Game 4 in Portland, the Mavericks responded by placing the Blazers squarely beneath their foot once more, and closed out the series with consecutive wins.
Beginning with the collapse to the Heat in the finals, those Mavs were 2-18 on the road in the playoffs, including losing streaks of nine and then with the Game 4 letdown to Portland marking a run of eight straight. These Mavs responded by winning five in a row on the road, including taking every road opportunity in Los Angeles and Oklahoma City.
That Jason Terry was prone to unraveling in the game's biggest moments, as likely to shoot his team out of a game than into one. This Terry has spread his wings and reminded us of who the Jet can be by having one of, if not the, best playoff run of his career. The 17.3 points his is averaging in the postseason is his highest since 2006. His field-goal and 3-point percentages are better than in any playoffs since 2005. His player efficiency rating is the highest of his postseason career.
Those not truly paying attention labeled yesterday's Dirk Nowitzki "soft" and incapable of carrying a team through the playoffs. He was deferential to a fault. Somehow his honesty gave his opponent the upper hand. This Dirk has turned those stubbornly clinging to their doubts into believers.
Those Mavs were too old, too tangled in the haunts of their past to succeed. This team has demanded that age be labeled as a positive through experience and knowledge while slaying perceptions.
Three of four years, those Mavs fell in the first round. These Mavs have toppled the favored Blazers, the mighty Lakers and the dangerous Thunder.
And, here they stand with demons strewn in silent insignificance around their feet.
For all the scars they've discarded, for all the haunts they have quieted, for all they've accomplished, another looms, towering above the rest; that collapse to Miami in 2006.
Atonement isn't granted to those who accept complacency. Indifference seldom breeds redemption. And change, change can either lead a team astray or deliver them to the shores of salvation.
Though drastically different paths, both of these teams have undergone severe transformations to come full circle and stand face to face once more, with only the other between them and their unwavering goal.
Let the games begin.
The evolution of the Heat's roster is highly publicized. Few have failed to notice the additions of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, as James made certain of with his ill-conceived, self-aggrandizing television special. The Heat further pushed the envelope with the first ever preseason championship celebration; humility has little to do with the presentations of Hollywood, and so were the ways of the admittedly "Hollywood" self-congratulatory show put on by the newly formed "Miami Thrice."
These displays of spectacle polarized onlookers, driving most to either love or hate the characters involved. Few lingered in the middle ground.
Dallas took a road parallel to the Heat's, but with a strikingly different approach. Where Miami sped to sudden revelation in a bright red Ferrari, the Mavs reached the same destination packed into a steady, yet reliable station wagon even if the driver was occasionally emotional and outspoken (Mark Cuban).
Just as it is with the Heat, where there are only two holdovers from that championship team on the court (Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem), only two players remain (Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry) from the Dallas squad that watched their hopes build to a heart-pounding apex through more than 11 quarters of Finals' basketball, when a 3-0 series lead over the Heat was near certainty.
Rather than a televised special, and the inherent look-at-me antics, Dallas slowly swapped out the body supporting their head.
Gone are Marquis Daniels, Adrian Griffin, Josh Powell and other role players. Gone were Devin Harris, Desagana Diop and the already-retired Keith Van Horn in a deal to acquire Jason Kidd. Gone was Jerry Stackhouse as part of a four-team deal to bring Shawn Marion to Dallas. Josh Howard; gone in a move that returned Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood. And, the last of the core to find his exit, Erick Dampier (and his expiring contract) was off to Charlotte for Tyson Chandler.
Other than the deal with Washington for Butler and Haywood, each move drew some level of criticism. The Mavs outbid themselves with draft picks for Kidd, and made the mistake of giving up a young up-and-coming point guard for one long past his prime. They gave Shawn Marion too much money. They failed to meet the high expectations on the return for Dampier.
Yet, a far cry from that team who came up short in 2006, here they stand.
"This isn't the same team," Brendan Haywood said after the Mavs clinched their Finals berth. "We've added a lot of different pieces. The only two guys off that 2006 team are basically Dirk and Jet. So, this is a totally different team and they're looking at things that happened to Mavs in the past. Maybe look at what we did present day, and that's why we're at this point. So many people have slept on us."
The roster had been overturned, but the team was still bound by many on the outside to the demons haunting the failures of the franchise's recent past. Unjustly, this roster was assigned labels they had not earned. They were given the name of their former.
Those Mavs were 2-16 in playoff games officiated by Danny Crawford from 2001 to 2010. These Mavs are now 2-0 this postseason with Crawford holding a whistle.
Perceptions promised that those Mavs were mentally frail, unable to shoulder the weight of the added pressure arriving with the playoffs. Those Mavs would sink themselves after an improbable, and heartbreaking loss. These Mavs have proven to be remarkably resilient. When Brandon Roy proclaimed the reports of his demise to be premature and led the charge to erase a 23-point Dallas lead and steal Game 4 in Portland, the Mavericks responded by placing the Blazers squarely beneath their foot once more, and closed out the series with consecutive wins.
Beginning with the collapse to the Heat in the finals, those Mavs were 2-18 on the road in the playoffs, including losing streaks of nine and then with the Game 4 letdown to Portland marking a run of eight straight. These Mavs responded by winning five in a row on the road, including taking every road opportunity in Los Angeles and Oklahoma City.
That Jason Terry was prone to unraveling in the game's biggest moments, as likely to shoot his team out of a game than into one. This Terry has spread his wings and reminded us of who the Jet can be by having one of, if not the, best playoff run of his career. The 17.3 points his is averaging in the postseason is his highest since 2006. His field-goal and 3-point percentages are better than in any playoffs since 2005. His player efficiency rating is the highest of his postseason career.
Those not truly paying attention labeled yesterday's Dirk Nowitzki "soft" and incapable of carrying a team through the playoffs. He was deferential to a fault. Somehow his honesty gave his opponent the upper hand. This Dirk has turned those stubbornly clinging to their doubts into believers.
Those Mavs were too old, too tangled in the haunts of their past to succeed. This team has demanded that age be labeled as a positive through experience and knowledge while slaying perceptions.
Three of four years, those Mavs fell in the first round. These Mavs have toppled the favored Blazers, the mighty Lakers and the dangerous Thunder.
And, here they stand with demons strewn in silent insignificance around their feet.
For all the scars they've discarded, for all the haunts they have quieted, for all they've accomplished, another looms, towering above the rest; that collapse to Miami in 2006.
Atonement isn't granted to those who accept complacency. Indifference seldom breeds redemption. And change, change can either lead a team astray or deliver them to the shores of salvation.
Though drastically different paths, both of these teams have undergone severe transformations to come full circle and stand face to face once more, with only the other between them and their unwavering goal.
Let the games begin.
So who do you got?
Dirk or LeBron?
Kidd or D-Wade?
Chandler/Marion or Bosh/Haslem?
Barea, Terry, and Peja or Bibby, Miller, and Jones?
I don't know who's going to win but I do know it'll be fun to watch.
