2013 NBA Finals: San Antonio Spurs (2) vs Miami Heat (1)

[NovU]

Are you guys ready?

...... for the shitstorm that I'm about to release here?

[Andrew]

Apologies for the server issues, everyone. Still trying to work stuff out there, in the hands of the techs. Would've been nice to have some more conversation going on here during the game, hopefully we'll get it all sorted out in the near future.

It wasn't the result I was personally hoping for, but it was a good, competitive game with tolerable-at-the-very-least officiating, so it was decided by the players. LeBron was huge...Chris Bosh was not. Hats off to the Heat.

[benji]

Only needs to win two more in a row now and we can start talking about if he might be a Hall of Famer with another couple rings after that.

[formx]

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=91666#p1628565

I guess I was dead on with my prediction

[benji]

I mean LeBron needs to win at least one non-asterisk title as the man with clutch performances right? A lockout title + fluke because of injuries/senile Pop title don't really count as real championships.

[benji]

This also ends the silly Duncan vs. Kobe debate. Kobe got it done in a game seven for a fifth ring. Duncan didn't and ends his career with four*. Case closed, move Kobe up another notch, GOAT.

[Axel The Great]

I mean LeBron needs to win at least one non-asterisk title as the man with clutch performances right? A lockout title + fluke because of injuries/senile Pop title don't really count as real championships.

Makes me feel much better about the Heat winning the title, even though the Pop argument doesn't have much strength behind it.

It was an exciting game, but I stopped watching once I knew the Spurs were gonna lose. Twice they had the chance to close it out, but they let it slip out of their hands. Smallest of congratulations to the Heat.

[shadowgrin]

Great, LeBron needs to win 1 more for a threepeat and then win another 2 rings consecutively without Dwyane Wade's help then maybe we can consider him as good as Kobe The G.O.A.T. Bryant.



Cable lost signal here so I ended up reading the play by play at the nba.com during the game. Almost made me want to punch the screen seeing the Heat win.

[NovU]

Non no, monsieurs haters. That's not how you do it.

You need to Embrace it, Apperciate it, and Live it. Don't fight it. Because the justice conquers, love conquers.

[benji]

Great, LeBron needs to win 1 more for a threepeat and then win another 2 rings consecutively without Dwyane Wade's help then maybe we can consider him as good as Kobe The G.O.A.T. Bryant.

No way, Kobe would still have five legit rings to LeBron's maybe two legit and three asterisk rings.

We also can't overlook the fact that LeBron NEEDED a game seven to win this ring. Kobe didn't need a game seven to win his last ring, he wanted one because a game seven in the NBA Finals was the only challenge he hadn't overcome. He had won rings in four, five, six games, he only needed one in seven. (Sound familiar LeBron frontrunners?)

And he overcame it. Something not even Jordan managed to ever pull off.

Same as 81.

[NovU]

LeBron James is the best elimination game player in the history of NBA, period.

Wade has 3 fucking rings and counting.

Chew on this for now as appetizers. Gonna go grab couple drinks now.

[shadowgrin]

I wonder if Nike is going to make a stupid LeBron shirt again like that Earned Not Given crap.
Yeah, LeBron earned his rings by deliberately colluding with two other stars and leaving behind his former team because he couldn't carry it to a championship like a true winner.
Jordan didn't quit on the Bulls when the Pistons were beating him up year after year.
Kobe didn't go to another team when the Lakers were rebuilding during those losing seasons.

[Andrew]

It should also be noted that Shane Battier picked a good time to show up. He was pretty awful through the Eastern Conference Finals and not much of a factor outside of a couple of drawn charges for most of the NBA Finals. He and Allen certainly earned their paycheques in Games 6 and 7.

[benji]

It should also be noted that Shane Battier picked a good time to show up. He was pretty awful through the Eastern Conference Finals and not much of a factor outside of a couple of drawn charges for most of the NBA Finals. He and Allen certainly earned their paycheques in Games 6 and 7.

Which is really suspicious if you ask me. Maybe when Stern retires someone will have the guts to write a tell-all book.

[SoF'nAwesome]

1, 2...and counting.

Fuck "true winner", fuck them jealous hater bitches. We the champions while your team is now nowhere to be found.

Have a nice off-whine-season

[[Q]]

Cable lost signal here so I ended up reading the play by play at the nba.com during the game. Almost made me want to punch the screen seeing the Heat win.

it was probably better that way. ginobili's failures down the stretch plus no parker in the last meaningful offensive possesion

[Andrew]

So close but yet so far for the Spurs. I suppose it doesn't do well to dwell on it, especially if you're Kawhi Leonard, but there's a lot to be said for making your free throws.

[NovU]

So many young star swingmans were born in the course of Miami Heat playoffs run. I was thinking about making a thread similar to 'Wall vs Irving vs Lillard' thread, for Kiwi Leo, Jim Butler, Lance Stephen, Paul George, so on(but not in versus senses). All of them have their own perks and flaws, and it'll be really interesting to see them develop throughout their career.

[benji]

Winners:
Pat Riley, Dwayne Wade, Ray Allen ... proved you can scam and cheat your way to another title.
Erik Spolestra ... somehow managed to coach a team led by LeBron James to two NBA titles.
Kobe Bryant ... now has the determination to come back and show people what a real winner looks like.
David Stern ... goes out on a high note ratings-wise thanks to the collusion he allowed while still thwarting what the fans want by having the Heat win.
ABC ... showed how to create a real pre-/half/post-game show with ninth-level NBA experts Michael Wilbon and Magic Johnson.
Dirk Nowitzki ... his career of leadership and clutch play should now be recognized at another level after the Spurs choke job.

Losers:
Tim Duncan ... now has no case at ever being better than Kobe, falls out of the Pantheon.
Tony Parker/Manu Ginobili ... lost to LeBron somehow, possibly ending their HoF case.
Kawhi Leonard ... the next Nick Anderson probably.
Gregg Popovich ... his senile final years will overshadow his good work while Phil Jackson was out of coaching.
LeBron James ... the pressure is now greater than ever, and he won't live up to it.
Tracy McGrady ... like Vince Carter thought he could sneakily nab a ring and get back into the conversation with Kobe. Karma.

[SoF'nAwesome]

If Kobe doesn't win/LeBron wins, at least this argument will be over? Not, that there is any "arguable" facts there, LeBron is just better now and was this whole season and last year.

[Andrew]

ABC ... showed how to create a real pre-/half/post-game show with ninth-level NBA experts Michael Wilbon and Magic Johnson.

Hater! Where's the love for Jalen Rose?

[benji]

Does anyone else get the impression that Wilbon hates Bill Simmons with the fury of a thousand suns? Like there's some "they finally give me the show I deserve and this nobody INTERNET asshole has to sit over there and get all the love..." beef.

Next year they should have a hologram Magic programmed with like fifteen sayings and see how long before anyone notices.

And they should refer to Simmons as the "host" and Wilbon as a "panelist" by accident five or six times throughout the season.

[shadowgrin]

Heat should have at least two asterisks for their championship this year, one for the injured Bulls without Derrick Rose and one for the Pacers without Danny Granger. Footnotes even.

[_Steve_]

I'd loved to see even the worst "experts". Halftime show in Germany was just a clock ticking backwards and pictures from the ranks. Also German commentatory sucked monkey balls.
Battier was a real killer tonight. Couldn't have written any better script for him.

[benji]

Heat should have at least two asterisks for their championship this year, one for the injured Bulls without Derrick Rose and one for the Pacers without Danny Granger. Footnotes even.