NEW YORK — Nerlens Noel grew up fixated on playing in the NBA. “Since I was a little kid, like 8 years old, I’ve wished for this to come true, to play in the NBA and now it’s finally here,” said Noel. “All the hard work has paid off.” Meanwhile, halfway around the globe in Ukraine, Alex Len didn’t know what basketball was all about until he was a 13-year old who was still participating in gymnastics. “Dude, you don’t belong there,” explained
The 2012-13 NBA Finals were a sight to behold. Long. Epic. Utterly unpredictable from game to game, quarter to quarter. The door was seemingly slammed shut by San Antonio… yet somehow reopened and slammed shut by Miami. Here are five everlasting memories of the phenomenal basketball from one of the most inspirationally played championship series ever: 5. Game 6 and Game 7 won’t be forgotten / Spurs veteran trio not enough / Heat too hungry to contain: Game 6 won’t soon be forgotten. Neither will Game 7. Tim
MIAMI — It was the Game 7 play that will haunt the Spurs throughout the summer, as much as their Game 6 collapse. And nobody will be more haunted than Tim Duncan. [Read more…]
MIAMI — For basketball fans, Tuesday night’s Game 6 of the NBA Finals was nothing short of breathtaking. It was everything one could possibly want in a game: A championship and legacies on the line, elite performances by two living legends, a seesaw battle, an epic shot by the best shooter in history to tie the game with 5.2 seconds left, and an overtime session to sort it all out. For the Miami Heat, the performance thoroughly reinforced to everyone their will
MIAMI — On Friday evening in South Beach, from about 8:00 to 10:00 PM, clouds covered the sky and rain flooded the streets. It was the typical tropical weather that Floridians are accustomed to; quick and power-packed storms that come and go with a minute’s notice. [Read more…]
MIAMI – In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, LeBron James had great numbers – 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple-double. But the most important number for James might have been 12. James played all 12 minutes of the third quarter, which admittedly drained him to some extent before the beginning of the pivotal final period. That was when the San Antonio Spurs overtook the suddenly sloppy Miami Heat and escaped with a 92-88 victory that now has
MIAMI — There are two players in the NBA Finals who have been nearly impossible to stop during the 2012-13 postseason, LeBron James, and Tony Parker. In 16 games, James is shooting 51.4% from the field, averaging 26.2 points, 6.2 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 41 minutes per game for the Miami Heat. And truthfully, the numbers don’t even do him justice because of the way he impacts the game at both ends of the court… [Read more…]
MIAMI — Roy Hibbert sat calmly on the bench with his headphones blaring and the word “FOCUS” written on his right sneaker, right before game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Paul George answered a few questions from a reporter who was interested in whether George thought he’d done a good job of making himself marketable for endorsement deals (umm, not the time, buddy). [Read more…]