Well, it's finally here. The NBA Finals begin tonight. Die-hard fans have been watching since October for this. Casual fans will flock to TV sets across America to see who will be crowned NBA champion. And thousands of haters will be spite-watching this year, as the Heat and Spurs are two of the most widely hated teams in the NBA (along with the Lakers).
Like any Finals series, we can break it down in a multitude of ways. Individual matchups, strategies or even post-game wardrobes, every angle of Heat-Spurs will be beaten to death before the opening tip tonight. But with each team boasting an all-time great, one thing that comes to mind is legacies. The careers of LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade, Tony Parker and even Gregg Popovich will all be greatly affected by what happens in these Finals. So win or lose, what will happen to the legacies of the big names in this series.
LeBron James
It all starts with LeBron when it comes to the NBA, and this article is no different. Win or lose for Miami, LeBron's play will be the hot topic. Let's start with the possibility of winning. If Miami wins, the MVP will be LeBron. At this point, it's hard to see him not-dominating against a Spurs team who's best defensive answer for him will be second-year Kawhi Leonard. A win makes him a two-time champ, and multiple rings are always important for a great NBA legacy. A win also makes him a virtual lock for best player of the decade, even if we're not halfway through it yet. And as if he wasn't fully confident in his abilities, back-to-back championships will reinforce what he, and everyone else knows: That this dude can play.
But what about a loss? The 2011 Finals backlash already showed us what happens when LeBron loses a Finals where he's supposed to win, but 2013 won't go down the same way. He's a different beast now, and he can't possibly play that badly again. A loss here may not even be his fault, yet it will be enough to give Skip Bayless and Co. plenty to talk about this summer. And even though, the Heat would never trade LeBron, a Finals loss will bring about major personnel changes in Miami. Which brings us to...
Dwyane Wade
Wade has not been at his best in these playoffs. In fact, he's played the worst basketball of his career. But everyone would forget the banged up 2013 version of Wade if the Heat coast to another championship (and Wade's third). If Miami wins, Wade will likely be the active, driving, cutting force that he was in Game 7 versus Indiana. But if they lose, he may be panic-traded. It's clear that he has lost a step at age 31, and you don't get any younger in this league. Wade has never been the ideal sidekick for LeBron, but a Finals loss may get Pat Riley to start searching for one. Luckily for Wade, he won't be the main scapegoat with a Heat loss, but of course, he won't get much glory if they win either.
Tim Duncan/Gregg Popovich
If the Spurs win, an already much-closer-than-people-think Kobe-Duncan comparison will get even more interesting. Championships 14 years apart is an insane accomplishment. But when you consider his efficiency, All-Star selection and All-NBA selection, Duncan has already been pretty insane this year at age 37. Even though he's played center for the last decade, Duncan is regarded as the greatest power forward of all-time. A fifth championship will make it that much harder for someone to take that title from him.
Like Duncan, Coach Pop is an all-time great who will always be underrated because of a Laker counterpart. He's a seasoned, crusty coach who seems destined to destroy the concept of in-game coaching interviews. If the Spurs win, people will say that he rode Duncan to five rings. But Timmy D will be the first to say that Pop was just as (if not more) valuable to the Spurs success. A San Antonio loss? All Duncan and Pop would lose is their perfect Finals record. And 4-1 still isn't bad. People would say that Duncan and the Spurs just couldn't compete with the high flying Heat. Translation: They're old!!! -- which they are.
Tony Parker
Parker may be getting overlooked in this series, which is odd because he's the Spurs best player and he just destroyed the Grizzlies. Parker's 2007 Finals MVP performance wasn't enough to elevate him into the elite point guard status, but maybe a win here will. The NBA now is a more point guard-focused league than it was in 2007. With Rose, Rondo and Westbrook missing these playoffs with injuries and Chris Paul suffering a disappointing first-round exit, Parker would be primed for elevation with another Finals MVP. If the Spurs lose, Parker was likely swarmed by LeBron for much of the series, and his penetration was ineffective due to Spurs role players missing 3's.
A Spurs over Heat outcome would definitely produce more stories, but here's one for the 2013 Heat as a whole. If they can pull off a dominating series win over the Spurs, they immediately become one of the greatest NBA teams of all-time (and the 2013 Pacers would also get a ton of respect as a result). Either way, the 2013 Finals look to be historical. And since no preview is complete without a prediction...Heat in 6.
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