Having been to nine NBA Finals, winner of five, Earvin “Magic” Johnson is more of an expert on what it takes to make it to the promised land than most, save for Bill Russell and Phil Jackson, among only a select few others.
With the start of the 2014 NBA Finals just days away, Magic took to Twitter to share some insight into what it is going to take for the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat to win.
The Spurs vs. Heat Finals will be determined by the role players.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 3, 2014
Leonard vs. Allen, Mills vs. Cole, Green vs. Chalmers, Splitter vs. Andersen & Diaw vs. Battier. #HeatSpurs #NBAFinals
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 3, 2014
The role players will indeed play a huge part in the success of their teams. So will attitude.
I personally like that the Spurs & Heat don’t like each other. It will make the NBA Finals exciting! — Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 3, 2014
This is a subject that Magic would know all too well, as there was no love lost between his Los Angeles Lakers teams and the Boston Celtics during their storied rivalry in the 1980s. Nor was there any semblance of camaraderie when his Showtime Lakers battled the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons in 1989.
After getting “cheated” out of a fifth championship in Game 6 of last year’s NBA Finals, Tim Duncan and the Spurs are seeking to avenge their loss. Their will, like that of the dark lord Sauron in Middle-Earth, is bent on getting the one ring that will solidify their legacy as a 15-year-long perennial championship contender and NBA dynasty.
Last year’s loss was a bitter pill for them to swallow. Such bitterness does not breed respect and admiration, rather it creates envy and frustration.
This is their chance to prove they still have what it takes.
Conversely, having been pushed to the very brink before valiantly fighting back and overcoming for their second consecutive title, the Miami Heat are seeking to set themselves apart from the Spurs and Pistons of the basketball world. Theirs is a goal and ambition for historic greatness—to be on the same perceived level as teams like the Bulls and Lakers.
They aspire to win three championships in a row. Their failure in the 2011 NBA Finals, when they fell short to the Dallas Mavericks, assured that this year is their best chance to attain to that level of success.
Both teams are seeking history; both are securing legacies; both are consumed with winning. They’re planning for war.
With all of the perceived animosity, this should prove to be a rather entertaining Finals rematch.
Previous Tweet Posts:
Tweet of the Night: Wilson Chandler Grieves for Taj Gibson and His Family
Tweet of the Day: NBA Players React to All-Defensive Teams
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Michael Brumagin writes the Tweet of the Day for SheridanHoops.com and is also a correspondent for BleacherReport.com. Follow @mbrumagin