She was thereto win the Miami Heat, who beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 121 to 106 in the night, winning the second title in their history. It was above all the victory, needless to go around it, by Lebron James, the first for him, the sweetest.
The monkey got off the shoulder, along with that annoying label, that of loser, the worst they can give you in America and in sport, a label that was making its way dangerously on his back, just below the tattoo that reads "The chosen one", almost a curse to this day.
"It's the only thing that matters" was the first thing Lebron said, after the game, which slipped away without a story, closing the series on 4 to 1 without particular jolts. For James yesterday a triple double of 26 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists (plus 6 steals and 2 blocks, against only one turnover), in addition to the obvious Mvp award of the finals, closed with stellar averages in all statistical categories, first of his team for points, rebounds, assists and steals .
Jordanian averages, one would say. And already, in the night, comparisons have begun to be wasted with him, the myth, Michael Jordan, the undeniable, and currently unsurpassed, model of an entire generation of basketball players. Too different as players, starting from the role and an incomparable physical structure, as well as technical characteristics that remain quite different. But iThe dominion that Lebron has exercised over all phases of the game and over the entire series cannot fail to closely resemble that of "His Majesty" Jordan.
During the very rude night of “The decision”, when he announced the name of the team he would play for starting in the summer of 2010, when his contract with Cleveland (the team of his city) expired, Lebron said "Not one, not two, not three, not four…”, referring to the titles he would have won with the new Miami jersey. It seemed like one of his many blusters that evening, but now it seems something rather like a promise.
It was the victory of Lebron, we said, but also of all of Miami. The victory of general manager Pat Riley and the reviled coach Spoelstra, the victory of the controversial project that began two summers ago, when, in free agency, Riley brought together three of the most talented players of their generation (James, Bosh and Wade), to form a nucleus, that of the "big three", which at the time seemed unbeatable , but that at some point, after the defeat in last year's final, it seemed that he could never win.
She was therethe victory of a battered, but always decisive Wade and of Bosh, never as comfortable as in these finals with the role of follower, without any fear of getting your hands dirty. It was the victory of the supporting actors, starting with Battier, who played a sensational final series on both sides of the field, ending with Mike Miller, who, despite a scary series of injuries, rocked Oklahoma's defense with triples, passing through Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole and Captain Haslem, and then all the others.
It was the defeat of the Thunder, beaten by a hungrier team, if not stronger, and from their inexperience, giving up without even a fight tonight, once cornered. Sins of youth. It is said that in order to win, one must first go through such disappointments, searing defeats when the finish line is closest.
It probably is. Probably Durant, Westbrook and Harden (actually unwatchable during the finals) they learned a necessary lesson and next time, because next time there will be, if nobody takes the toy apart, theand their legs will shake less.
It wouldn't surprise me if they returned to the final next year, more convinced and hungry than ever. I wouldn't even be surprised if a big man had to stand in front of them with the number 6 and the writing "James" on the shirt.
