Sports Eye
“It has been said, and it was done”
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
PRIOR to this year’s NBA best-of-seven championship tussles between the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, majority of the world’s basketball forecasters predicted an easy victory for the multi-titled Lakers. That became evident after the Californians mercilessly pounded the Miamians twice consecutively, 116-98 and 124-11. So, kibitzers say a 4-0 sweep was in the offing due to the dominant and sterling performances of Lakers’ one-two-three punch led by Lebron James, Anthony Davis and Rajon Rondo. Many felt that the best the Heat could is to win a single game or a 4-1 final result. But they were wrong. The Heat came back twice to win, 115-104 and 111-108, in the third and fifth games, courtesy of tremendous effort by Heat’s super guard Jimmy Buttler who scored 40 and 35 points, respectively. But as the saying ‘expect the unexpected,’ goes, Buttler played lackadaisical in the sixth game scoring only 12 points, his lowest in the championship, due to the suffocating defense rendered by Lakers power forward-center Anthony Davis while he and Rondo nailed 19 points each, respectively.
Finals MVP (Most Valuable Player) James drained 28 marks and I believe that was one of the main factors why the Heat lost miserably. In fact, when the Lakers led the first half by 28 points, 64-36, that is now a new NBA’s record in championship match. After the intermission, some pundits who watched the live match with me on television began to leave the room, confident in the thought that the lead of the Lakers at first half was so big and awesome, that it was next to impossible to overcome the deficit knowing the capability of the multi-titled Lakers, then and until now. And they were right.
The Lakers victory this season was their 17th in their history of U.S.A.’s professional basketball league since 1947 to tie the record of their arch-rival the Boston Celtics. James who was teary eyed after receiving his MVP trophy said that their victory this year is dedicated to their friend a long time Lakers standout, the late Kobe Bryant. Kobe’s horrific death with his daughter Gianna in that helicopter crash, left such an impact on the Lakers.
Admittedly sans doubt, like the tandem of Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain in 1970s coached by Bill Sharman that was on the title in 1972, the dynamic duo of Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Karem Abdul Jabbar in 1980s mentored by Pat Riley contributed five championships in a span of nine years, the Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant tandem in the 2000-2010 decade steered by Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson lifted the Lakers with five championship conquests establishing a three-peat victories in 2000-2002, 2009 and 2010. And this year, analysts believe the beginning of a new era for the Lakers, with James, Davis and Rondo is at the helm.
Do you think so? Frankly, I doubt it although I believe Fil-Am Erik Spoelstra coached the Heat (as well as the other NBA teams) badly as he needs a legitimate center to counter the power of Davis to be in the championship column anew in the next season of NBA. Let’s just wait and see.
As foretold by the experts before the championship series, the Lakers will surely recapture the title, anew. “It has been said, and it was done.”
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of bondservant, and coming in the likeness of God. PHILIPPIANS 2: 6-7
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