The rematch is upon us; two teams who faced each other in the 2013 NBA Championship are back. When the NBA Finals tipoff tonight legacies will be determined. The Spurs are looking to redeem themselves from last year: the Heat, are looking for a rare place in history.
It seems like every key player and coach has some storyline involving legacy coming into this series. Let me help you understand what’s at stake.
Cory Joseph
Canadians are starting to have a huge effect on the league, but there is only one playing in the NBA Finals this year. This Canuck is Cory Joseph, and he has the chance to put himself on a very exclusive list. Only four Canadians have won a NBA Championship; Joseph could be in the company of Rick Fox, Bill Wennington, Joel Anthony and Mike Smrek. Canadian basketball fans that didn’t take notice after his dunk over Serge Ibaka in the Western Conference Finals will now if he gets his first championship ring.
Kawhi Leonard
Tim Duncan can’t ignore father time forever. When Duncan retires I believe Leonard will have the torch passed to him. Will he be able to match Duncan as a Spurs legend? Probably not. But if he explodes during these finals and helps his team bring home a championship, it will make the pain of not seeing Duncan in the frontcourt a little easier for Spurs fans.
Manu Ginobili
When the Spurs lost in the Finals last year Ginobili contributed to a lot of questionable plays. Unfortunately for the Argentinian, he has earned the nickname “Turnobili” in some circles. In that crazy game six from last year he had eight turnovers. In game seven he had the fatal one.
If he has a clean series the “Turnobili” nickname will disappear. Before the finals even started he seemed to be trying to put all concerns about the consistency of his play behind him.
Also if Parker can’t play to the level he needs to Ginobili will need to pick up the slack.
Which leads me to…
Tony Parker
The Spurs say Parker will be good to go once the series starts. Odds are, he will be playing injured. To what degree, your guess is as good as mine. The Spurs will need him to carve up the Heat guards if they want to win. On top of that, they might also need his turnaround-to-one-knee-off-the-backboard-shot in crunch time. Should he be able to collect his second Finals MVP and fourth championship, maybe the public will stop underrating him compared to other point guards who have won less.
Coach Gregg Popovich
Popovich is a genius. He is the longest tenured coach among the 122 NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB Franchises. He is the NBA Coach of the Year. He is one of five coaches in NBA history with four-or-more NBA titles.
However, one mistake may change his spotless legacy. It’s in this video right here:
Why is Tim Duncan not on the court for the biggest play of the series? This was the biggest coaching mistake of his career. If he can coach his Spurs to four more wins, he will be credited with being able to motivate a team to win a rematch after suffering one of the most devastating losses of all-time the previous season.
Tim Duncan
The future Hall of famer is 38 and has 17 seasons under his belt. If last year was his last shot at a title, then this year might REALLY be his last shot. He is arguably the greatest player of his generation due to his consistency and longevity. In my mind, no big man since 1998 can even compare.
Unfortunately for Duncan, like his coach, last years Finals had the one blemish in his legacy. With his team needing a key bucket he couldn’t capitalize over the shorter Shane Battier.
The image of Duncan banging his hands against the court a minute later is the one on court outburst that summarized what he and Spurs fans were thinking. They were that close and they missed it. But there is still hope for a storybook ending. Leaving with five rings and the sweet taste of redemption after this series could be the perfect endings to Mr. Fundamental’s career.
If the Spurs are aiming for redemption then The Heat are shooting for infamy. Three straight years they have made it the NBA Finals and have won the last two. They, like the Spurs, some players have their own legacies at stake.
Ray Allen
Last year he did this:
If he has another moment like the one above there will be no doubt that he is the most clutch 3-point shooter the NBA has ever had. He will always have the upper hand in any future debates between him and Reggie Miller if he hits another game winning shot this series.
Chris Bosh
Some people are born leaders and some are born followers. Bosh is the latter. We found that out when he couldn’t do anything relevant with the Toronto Raptors. But he has found his spot as the 3 in Miami’s Big 3. Bird had Robert Parrish. Jordan had Dennis Rodman. Magic had James Worthy. If Bosh can play a huge role in the post and protect the rim as much as possible, maybe the Internet memes will stop and he will get some respect.
Dwyane Wade
I have a theory that Wade’s expiry date is a lot sooner then people realize. The Heat limited his playing time this year and he only played in games that actually mattered. I think there is something seriously wrong with Wade legs that we aren’t being told. If my theory holds up he may not have as many chances at five or six as some would believe. Wade needs to win now because his future may be more uncertain than any other member of the Big Three.
LeBron James
If you’ve read this far I don’t think I even need to tell all that’s at stake for King James. I’ll stick to the basics.
If he wins he gets his third ring. Which is halfway to Jordan – the shadow LeBron unfairly lives in. Jordan was 34 when he won his sixth and final championship. LeBron is 29 but is such a physical anomaly (seriously he hasn’t had a major injury in his career) that I think he will play longer than Jordan. Three more rings is possible, but he needs this one now to keep pace.
Every legendary player has that one play in the Finals that is always shown first when they play highlights. Jordan crushed the entire state of Utah in 1996 Finals. Even Magic had his skyhook over the Celtics. LeBron has never had his moment in the Finals. He needs one for the highlight-reel. King James needs to get on the Top NBA Finals Plays Of All-Time List. I think at least two of these games will come down to the final play. In those final seconds it’s all on LeBron.
So there it all is. Legacies are always determined in the NBA Playoffs but this series seems more significant then others. Will Duncan and Popovich become the closest thing we ever get to Bill Russell and Red Auerbach? Or does LeBron start etching his face into NBA’s Mount Rushmore? This isn’t a prediction post so I don’t have an answer for you. Just sit back and enjoy watching basketball history unfold in front of you.
The View From Up North 