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2012 NBA Finals |OT| Good Job, Good Effort

SamuraiX-

Member
Spurs surprised me too this season, it's like they went beast mode at the end of the season. Luck ran out when they left home after getting 2-0 though. :/

More like OKC started playing uncharacteristically out of their minds.

That and Gino decided to be essentially useless in 3 of the last 4 games.
 

Smokey

Member
It's funny, I never thought that moving Bosh to center would be the answer for the Heat, but it makes so much sense in hindsight. OKC never really had an answer for it.

i never understood why spo insisted on playing anthony at that spot anyway...took him way to long to make the adjustment and put bosh at C
 

Talon

Member
If I recall, Bosh played some 5 during the regular season. Spo certainly played around with his lineup as much as anyone in the playoffs. Of course, he also messed around with that atrocious Turiaf starting lineup at the beginning of that Pacers series.
Shows how underrated Shane Battier is. Look at his defense assignments: David West, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass, and KD.
I don't think he's underrated - he's been playing tough D from 3-4 his entire career.
 

linsivvi

Member
I don't think he's underrated - he's been playing tough D from 3-4 his entire career.

He isn't. He and MWP were a major reason why the Rockets took the Lakers to 7 games. The only reason people are down on him is because his 3 point shooting has been subpar during the regular season.
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
So is Bron going to be hungry next year or will he pull a Dirk?

Cuban pulled the rug from under Dirk. Dirk didn't sabotage his game. Big difference.

The Heat are not losing any of their key players next season, so their should be no reason at all for not having a repeat. It's expected. Bron's mentality is where it needs to be, so it will probably happen again.
 

SamuraiX-

Member
So is Bron going to be hungry next year or will he pull a Dirk?

I'd be more worried about everyone on the team not named LeBron. I see a defending champion roster next season full of guys who have a ring and now either just wanna chill or retire.

Their summer free agency turnout pretty much dictates whether or not they'll even make it to the Finals again next year.
 
Cuban pulled the rug from under Dirk. Dirk didn't sabotage his game. Big difference.

The Heat are not losing any of their key players next season, so their should be no reason at all for not having a repeat. It's expected. Bron's mentality is where it needs to be, so it will probably happen again.

Dirk came into the season as a fatty sugar bottom and didn't give a flying fuck well into the season. He turned it up late in the season and tried in the playoffs but his team wasn't as good as the chip team.

Bron is going to the Olympics so he won't be out of shape but I can see him phoning it in for a week at the start of the season, but he has a lot more pressure to do well than Dirk did. Kinda unfair, but it comes with the territory.
 
Miami randomly takes stretches off in the regular season where they just don't look like they give a fuck already. I don't think this title is gonna change that. Its pretty much show up for the national marquee matchups, half ass it the other times and wake up during the playoffs.
 
James, Wade and Bosh may start slow but the media would rip them apart if they underperform for long.

Miller - Not sure if he will even play. Riles has to be whispering in his ear to retire so he doesn't fuck up his back more, he can go out on top and it frees up some cash for MIA. If he does stay he'll be even shittier.

Chalmers - I don't think he'll have that big of a chip hangover, even if he does all the verbal abuse he gets should snap him out of it.

Haslem - I predict him suffering the biggest chip hangover, his steady decline won't be doing him any favors either.

Joel - I don't even know

Shane - May be a bit hungover but I don't think he'd allow himself to phone it in.

Cole - He wants Chalmers lunch, I doubt he relaxes.

Turiaf - He will be as good a cheerleader as he ever was.
 
Watching the parade and celebration right now. Sucks I couldn't go. Oh well I will go to the next one, and the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that. :p

BTW excellent interview with Spo on Lebatard, download it when you can. The Miller story alone is worth it.
 

Blondie

Neo Member
This is pretty dope:

Heat turn 'secret' trophy into championship gold.

"That was, I think, a powerful moment for the team, not for anybody else. And it was something that we referred back to a lot of times during the tough times, and we saw our names. We signed our names to guarantee we would bring those things to the table. And when we weren't, that trophy would come out and we would remind ourselves we signed our name and were not being true to that."

"It was very meaningful to us, Spo coming to the first playoff meeting before the Knicks series and there's a box," James said. "We had no idea what was in it and he pulls out a trophy, this black trophy with all our names on it. He basically said that we need to recommit ourselves right now."

With each of the required 16 playoff victories, a victory notch was added, the final one coming as Thursday turned to Friday and championship hope turned to championship euphoria.

"We had to see 16 of those notches before we could even get happy," Wade said. "In the locker room, we put that last notch on there, everybody started screaming, and yelling."




The black trophy, and what it meant for the Heat.

“The black trophy,” Spoelstra said.

It was the Larry O’Brien Trophy, made to scale, if a bit lighter. And it was a secret. From the trainers. From management. From Riley. From the media. From anyone outside the locker room.

It was introduced just prior to the playoffs.


“It was a covenant that we made to each other,” Spoelstra said. “The coaching staff and the players. That we would commit to a handful of things each, and we would say them in front of each other. And if we didn’t do those things, we would not have a real opportunity to win and play for the title."

Chris Bosh said Spoelstra explained “the promise we need to make to each other, to have 16 gold marks on that trophy. It was pretty much a pact to stay together no matter what happens.”

Bosh called it “kind of heavy when you write your name on something, and it’s officially a contract. We were pretty much giving our words to say we would stay together when times get tough.”

Bosh took it seriously enough “that I didn’t put my autograph on it, I put my signature.”

After the championship was won, and the real trophy had been hoisted, Spoelstra still gave attention to the replica.

“To make that 16th mark, it was an unbelievable moment,” LeBron James said.
 

benjipwns

Banned
Oh ok I thought if he retired because of injury he would still collect his money.
He does, it's about getting him off the cap/luxury tax. For that the league assigned doctor has to agree he retired due to injury. And they don't get the relief until after next season.
he will get owed the money and it won't come off the books

he wold have to be nice enough to negotiate a buyout..
They can amnesty him.
 
He does, it's about getting him off the cap/luxury tax. For that the league assigned doctor has to agree he retired due to injury. And they don't get the relief until after next season.

They can amnesty him.

I would rather not waste that amnesty

Are we allowed to buy him out and then have him retire? Cause we could then use the amnesty on Joel Anthony's 3.5 million contract (seriously what the fuck)
 

Blackace

if you see me in a fight with a bear, don't help me fool, help the bear!
This is pretty dope:

Heat turn 'secret' trophy into championship gold.

"That was, I think, a powerful moment for the team, not for anybody else. And it was something that we referred back to a lot of times during the tough times, and we saw our names. We signed our names to guarantee we would bring those things to the table. And when we weren't, that trophy would come out and we would remind ourselves we signed our name and were not being true to that."

"It was very meaningful to us, Spo coming to the first playoff meeting before the Knicks series and there's a box," James said. "We had no idea what was in it and he pulls out a trophy, this black trophy with all our names on it. He basically said that we need to recommit ourselves right now."

With each of the required 16 playoff victories, a victory notch was added, the final one coming as Thursday turned to Friday and championship hope turned to championship euphoria.

"We had to see 16 of those notches before we could even get happy," Wade said. "In the locker room, we put that last notch on there, everybody started screaming, and yelling."




The black trophy, and what it meant for the Heat.

“The black trophy,” Spoelstra said.

It was the Larry O’Brien Trophy, made to scale, if a bit lighter. And it was a secret. From the trainers. From management. From Riley. From the media. From anyone outside the locker room.

It was introduced just prior to the playoffs.


“It was a covenant that we made to each other,” Spoelstra said. “The coaching staff and the players. That we would commit to a handful of things each, and we would say them in front of each other. And if we didn’t do those things, we would not have a real opportunity to win and play for the title."

Chris Bosh said Spoelstra explained “the promise we need to make to each other, to have 16 gold marks on that trophy. It was pretty much a pact to stay together no matter what happens.”

Bosh called it “kind of heavy when you write your name on something, and it’s officially a contract. We were pretty much giving our words to say we would stay together when times get tough.”

Bosh took it seriously enough “that I didn’t put my autograph on it, I put my signature.”

After the championship was won, and the real trophy had been hoisted, Spoelstra still gave attention to the replica.

“To make that 16th mark, it was an unbelievable moment,” LeBron James said.

it really isn't that dope...
 

alr1ght

bish gets all the credit :)
xAsw8.jpg
 

Blackace

if you see me in a fight with a bear, don't help me fool, help the bear!

"Every game we came closer and closer and put more and more stuff in," Gary Payton said. "We brought a wheelbarrow in to put stuff in because he gave us a story about trusting people and pushing a wheelbarrow across a tightrope. He's a great motivator. He did what he was supposed to do. He got us to play the way we were supposed to play, and we stuck together."

The wheelbarrow tale that Riley told the team was believed to be this: In 1859 the Great Blondin, the man who invented the high-wire act, announced to the world that he intended to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope. As the story goes, 5,000 people gathered to watch. Halfway across, Blondin suddenly stopped, steadied himself, backflipped into the air, landed squarely on the rope, and then continued safely to the other side. Just as he was about to begin yet another crossing, this time pushing a wheelbarrow, he turned to the crowd and shouted, "Who believes that I can cross pushing this wheelbarrow?" Every hand in the crowd went up. Blondin pointed at one man. "Do you believe that I can do it?" he asked. "Yes, I believe you can," said the man. "Are you certain?" Blondin asked.

"Yes," said the man. "Absolutely certain?" "Yes, absolutely certain." "Thank you," said Blondin. "Then, sir, get into the wheelbarrow."
 
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