Miami Heat are World Champs

The Miami Heat celebrating their 2nd title in franchise history

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh got together two summers ago with one thing on their mind.

Win an NBA Championship.

They were two wins away from accomplishing that in their first year of the "big 3" era, but came up short to Dallas in the finals. They had to watch another team celebrate on their home floor.

Not this year.

They dismantled the Oklahoma City Thunder, 121-106, in game 5 of the NBA Finals. They won 4 straight to finish them off 4-1, this after losing the first game of the series. A theme that became the norm, becoming the ONLY team in NBA history to win a championship after trailing in 3 series. They were 9-0 after being down in each of those series.

NBA Finals MVP LeBron James posing with some nice hardware

I gotta be real here. The fan in me caused me not to write anymore after my last article last month after game 1 of the Pacer series. I had to stop and just enjoy this ride, plus I didn't want to jinx my team.

I mean I have yet to sleep, going to the famous bird road in southwest Miami-Dade and take part in a massive after party in the streets, pots and pans in hand. Seeing all of Miami, young and old, reacting like never before and understanding the togetherness of sports. It's like nothing else.

I watched a replay of game 5 and soaked it all in AGAIN. Now here I am writing the emotions going through my head while getting ready to escape to the Keys for the weekend.

Couldn't have asked for anything better

LeBron averaged 28.6 ppg, 10 rpg & 7.4 apg to seal his first Finals MVP

Watching LeBron play some of the best basketball EVER during this post season run will be forever eched in my mind. The guy closed out his first title with a triple double! Something that only five players have ever done.

All of the critics can shut the hell up. I know he won't say that, but I will. Especially the leader of the hit squad, Skip Bayless. All year long I've heard he can't "close". Who gives a crap? The guy is a physical beast. He has all the tools you would want in a basketball player. He's an elite defender. When you have the caliber of a player in Dwyane Wade you don't have to be the guy that hits the last shot.

So Skip do us all a favor and shut it. Don't tell me Kevin Durant is the best player in the league. Don't tell me he's the frozen one. Or that his name is Prince James.

It's King James buddy and the guy just closed the deal.

Dwade celebrating after a grueling post season on AND off the court

It's great to see Dwyane get his second title.

There have been some trying times this year. He hasn't been 100% healthy. He's given the reins to the team over to LeBron. He's had a lot of personal issues to deal with, especially during one of the most important times in his career.

Yet through it all he is a champion. Again.


Listening to an interview after the game with Shaq, that both he and LeBron were doing, I loved that he compared when Shaq told him in 06' to "go get it young fella" to how he's told LeBron to take this team and lead them to a title. It's a sign of maturity and knowing how hard it was to get that first title in his third year.

We wondered if they could play together. We wonder now if what LeBron said two years ago of  "not 1, not 2" and so on will become a reality.

Check this awesome 2 1/2 minutes of the ending of that interview with Shaq and Barkley. I found it to be very entertaining.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiP8zgbMY64&feature=youtu.be

The forgotten member of the big 3, Chris Bosh, showed how instrumental he really was 

When this team was first assembled two years ago, I told anyone who I talked about the Heat that Chris Bosh would be the key to them winning a title. The man knows his place on this team. He's a model of professionalism. He could very well be the number one option on half of the team in this league, but he joined forces with two of the games greats.

All I heard from friends and fans were "We shoulda got Stoudemire". I kept saying watch and see how Bosh will pay dividends for us. Amare would have NEVER fit on this team. Bosh is a better rebounder, passer, free throw shooter, has a better outside game and most of all is humble to the fact he was going to be the third option on the Heat. Amare could handle being number two in New York.

The Heat ended up getting a world champion big man, New York got a guy who sliced his hand by breaking  the glass of a fire extinguisher.

I think we know who got the better deal.

Whatever it takes.

Mike Miller was just one of many role players to step up big in this title run

Something that signified how this title was closed last night, Mike Miller, who was often injured this season and post season, was in a zone unlike any I've seen in years. He made seven threes, almost like he was shooting them alone in the gym. Broken Mike Miller poured in 23 huge points.

But it wasn't just Miller providing unexpected results this series from Miami's "others". Mario Chalmers balled out in game 4 with 25 points. Norris "Kid" Cole tossed in 8 crucial points in the same game.

Shane Battier shot 75% on his three point shots the first 3 games of the series.

Pat Riley the architect; Udonis Haslem the glue; Together champions yet again

This was a total team effort to beat a team that is scary good for their age. Kevin Durant is an amazing scorer and Russel Westbrook is freakishly athletic.

But the NBA is the one sport where experience really pays off. Where losing makes you stronger down the road. The Thunder have felt what the heat felt just one year ago. I have no doubt they will be back.

I also have no doubt to whom their opponent will be when they get back there.

The World Champion Miami Heat.