In a lockout-shortened season, the 2012 NBA Finals was less a series than a coronation for the Miami Heat.
The Heat used their young legs and improved depth against the Oklahoma City Thunder who couldn’t hold off Miami stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the five-game championship series.
This was also James’ coming out party as in a one-year span, he went from being the villain that abandoned Cleveland to the hero of South Beach.
“I dreamed about this opportunity and this moment for a long time,” James said as he sat down on a metal folding chair on the podium after the final game and allowed the moment to wash over him. “My dream has become a reality now and it is the best feeling I have ever had.”
James’ accomplishments capped a National Basketball Association season that featured many milestones but also a few lows like the lockout.
This has been a maturing process for James, who turns 28 on December 30, ever since he was labelled a child prodigy in high school. He is more humble, more reserved and more focussed on winning. It doesn’t hurt that he has a supporting case that includes Wade and Bosh either.
“I did it the right way,” James said. “I didn’t shortcut anything. I put a lot of hard work and dedication in it and hard work pays off. It is a great moment for myself.”
The Thunder won game one of the finals 10-94 behind 36 points from Kevin Durant. But they couldn’t contain James, Bosh and Wade in game two as they blitzed the Thunder defence for 72 points in a 100-96 win.
The Heat looked forward to some home cookin’ with the next three games in Miami. They won game three 91-85 and survived a 43-point performance from Thunder guard Russell Westbrook to take game four 104-98. They wrapped it up with a 121-106 win in game five as six players reached double figures.
Even thought the Thunder fell short of winning the title they earned the respect of the league.
They have been building a winner for the past three years and they used their young corp of stars to storm through the early rounds of the post-season.
It has been a slow steady climb. After winning just 23 games in the 2008-2009 season, the Thunder won 50 games the next year and in 2010-11 they lost in the playoff semi-finals.
Oklahoma City opened the 2011-12 season by going 12-2. They swept Dallas in the first round (4-0) and then embarrassed the mighty Los Angeles Lakers four games to one. They had to rally after dropping the first two games against San Antonio to win the semi-finals in six games.
The lockout gave us plenty to talk about. It reduced the 82-game schedule to just 66 games, costing the league the first two months of the season.
But the negotiations were contentious as the players were forced to decertify their union before a deal could get done.
The shortened season began on Christmas day as the season stretched to late April and the post-season was pushed back to late June.
The owners won a 50-50 split of the NBA’s annual revenue, about $4 billion, after giving players 57 percent of revenues under the old deal.
The players gave us plenty to talk about, especially in Chicago where superstar Derrick Rose was hampered by injuries all season long. When reigning league MVP Rose went down again in the first round of the playoffs, Chicago’s hopes sank with him.
The not ready for prime time Bulls won with solid defence, finishing with a league best 88.2 points-against average. But they couldn’t do it without Rose who missed 26 games with a series of injuries.
Chicago is off to one of their slowest starts in recent memory this year as they await the return of Rose, who said in early December he is working out six days a week.
But he has yet to begin practising with his teammates as his surgically repaired left knee needs more time to heal.
Heat grab title in lockout-shortened season
