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NBA Playoff Notes: "It's about damn time"

by Tyler Conway       June 22nd, 2012 11:02 AM
  • NBA-Playoff-Notes-Its-about-damn-time
  • Miami Heat small forward LeBron James with the Larry O'Brien Trophy and the MVP trophy during the post game press conference after winning the NBA championship. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

    • "It's about damn time"
    -LeBron James

    It's empty. Every single criticism of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Every criticism you've ever thought of in the two years since "The Decision" is irrelevant. LeBron James is an NBA champion, the best player in the world, and the most important athlete in sports today.

    We all knew eventually Miami was going to win the championship, but how they did it is more important. Here are some notes from last night's coronation:

    LeBron James' playoff performance is among the best ever


    Credit: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

    While Jacober is in Jackson's Hole, we're allowed to compliment LeBron here at TheFanHub. James' tumultuous first two seasons in Miami are the opposite of how the old guard wants things to go. You can build a champion in two years. You can become immortal with two other great players on your team. You can succeed in the face of unprecedented pressure.

    Not only did LeBron finally win his first NBA championship, but he nearly rendered the other two members of the Big Three irrelevant in the process. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, LeBron was just the third player in NBA history to lead his team in points, rebounds and assists on a championship team. He is one of two players in NBA history to average 30-9-5 in a postseason. LeBron led the Heat back from three different postseason series deficits.

    This postseason, these Finals, this narrative is about a complete coming of age for LeBron as a player, a closer and a teammate.

    And for anyone who tries to give this championship an asterisk because it's in a shortened season or attempts to discredit James' accomplishments because they weren't done in Cleveland…I hope LeBron asks you how his ass tastes at the parade in South Beach.

    The supporting cast finally shows up

    In Games 1 thru 3 of the Finals, it was Shane Battier hitting 70 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. In Game 4, Mario Chalmers turned in his best game since he hit "The Shot" in the 2008 NCAA championship game. And Thursday night, it was Mike Miller performing a Tupac-esque resurrection, hitting seven three-pointers en route to a 23-point effort.

    As someone who literally thought Mike Miller was dead, it was nice to see him J.D. Drew his $25 million contract with one brilliant performance.

    The end of a narrative marks the beginning of a new one.

    The cute narrative coming into this series was ridiculous speculation about whether Kevin Durant was a better player than LeBron. Everyone who actually follows the sport where they put the orange thing in the round thing knew that was ridiculous. Kevin Durant will always be a better natural scorer than LeBron, but there is very little chance that he ever eclipses one of the eight best all-around players in league history.


    It’s your turn, Melo. Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

    But James is an "a**hole", so there was the narrative. This will be Durant's coronation because, well, karma, bitch.

    …nope.

    But the ending of a narrative always sparks the beginning of a new, equally ridiculous narrative. I mean, the Skip Baylesses of the world have to eat. But who is our new whipping boy? Can we really start criticizing Kevin Durant and his Thunder when every core member of the team is under 25 years old? Of course not.

    But there is a sweet little narrative brewing 1300 miles north in New York with LeBron's 2003 draftee Carmelo Anthony. There was never a "Decision" involved, but there was a "Bitch Until You Trade Me" special. Yet for whatever reason, everyone has seemed inclined to give Anthony a pass, so the narrative pressure is probably headed for this guy…

    Oh, Russell Westbrook…how we all love-hate you.


    Credit: Lynne Sladky/Pool Photo via US PRESSWIRE

    Two nights after playing the best basketball of his life, Westbrook turned quite possibly his worst performance as a pro, shooting 4-for-20 and adding embalming fluid to the "RUSSELL WESTBROOK SHOOTS TOO MUCH, BRAH" narrative. Despite his heroics in Game 4, Westbrook will undoubtedly be the scapegoat for anyone for this theory’s proponents. He's "not a point guard." He "doesn't let" Kevin Durant get into the game. And did I mention HE SHOOTS TOO MUCH, BRAH!

    On the bright side, sportswriter hacks like myself have a pretty new narrative. The problem is, it's just as flawed as the last one.

    What did you think? Leave a comment

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