Sports Talk with MC

by MC

We were all witnesses, alright.

We were witnesses to the (temporary) demise of a king.

A couple of nights ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who made the NBA Finals for the first time in 37 years, were unceremoniously swept by the San Antonio Spurs to the tune of 83-82. Tony Parker was named Finals MVP, but really, the eyes of the world were on two men- Tim Duncan, considered to be the best power forward in the game today, and Lebron James, the 22 year old dynamo who had, seemingly single-handedly, reversed the fortunes of an entire franchise.

For Duncan, it was his fourth ring in a decade. For Lebron, it was his first trip to the promised land.  For Michael Finley of the San Antonio Spurs, it was the end of a long and arduous, drought.

For Tony Parker, it was, apart from being the latest in his collection of accolades, tantamount to his first Finals MVP award, and the first of two rings with his name on it for 2007- the second of which would come in less than a months time, and within the context of duality. Eva Longoria, of course, is the other half of the two-pronged attack.

In a postgame interview, Tim Duncan said that he loved the way King James conducted himself and handled leading his teammates. I can’t agree with the 3-time Finals MVP more. Although James is only 22, he possesses poise of character not even men twice his age would automatically possess by virtue of chronology. In the King’s postgame interview, he said that he had to get ten times better in the offseason for the Cavaliers to compete, and that he said that he had faith in the fact that his time, as currently constituted, could win an NBA title. The latter fact, whether true or not, doesn’t really matter. Superstars, on occasion, need to tell “white lies” to motivate, and not exculpate themselves, of responsibility when things go awry. Rather, genuine stars tend to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, and make themselves available for comment when those in the midst, still in awe of the events preceding the impending bit of discourse, throw forth inquiries as to the hows and whys of winning and losing. Lebron’s poise, in this case, totally overshadow’s the fact that on the court, he tended to look every bit of 22 against more grizzled cagers like Bowen and Ginobili. You can build up on court mettle through practice, or through experience. Substance inside, though, is something you nurture through reflection, or something that comes in 1 out of every 100 people as a result of upbringing.

Y es, the 2007 NBA Finals had very low TV ratings. The Cleveland Cavaliers were probably in over their heads from tip off during Game 1. Perhaps everyone knew that this wasn’t really James’ time just yet. One thing we sportsfans can take consolation (or pride) in, though, would be the fact that we witnessed, through all the humdrum of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rounds, would be the fact that we were all fortunate enough to have seen the birth of a dynasty. It’s not every decade or so that we get to see basketball played as efficiently as what the Spurs showed throughout the 2007 postseason, and through the last few years as a whole. They aren’t always the flashiest team to watch, but heck, you can’t argue with results. How far did Golden State go? How far did the Suns go? What happened to the career of master showman Harold Miner? You get the picture.

Lebron will be back, and so will Duncan, at some point. The Nashes, Nowitzkis, Boozers, and Yaos of this world will contend, but until then, the game will be about number 23 in gold and wine red’s journey, filled with growing pains and tremendous success at such an early age, and, furthermore, the coming of age of a Virgin Islands native who didn’t play organized basketball until later in his youth (he began his athletic career as a competitive swimmer) , who now, happens to be the cornerstone of an NBA franchise, an MVP in the truest sense of the word, and, a bona fide champion on and off the hardwood.

Another NBA campaign in the books. Thank you, ballers, for, overall, yet another thrilling ride.

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