That’s all she wrote folks.
Roughly eight months later, we have an NBA champion. It’s the San Antonio Spurs, who unseated the Miami Heat in convincing fashion, ruining their three-peat hopes in a matter of five games.
Duplicating last year’s performance was always utterly impossible. This matchup spanned seven games and took a number of twists and turns and loop de loops that no one saw coming. Much of the same can be said of this year, but not exactly. That series lasted seven games. It was compelling for all the right reasons. This one-sided series lasted five, and was fascinating for almost all the wrong reasons, one of which most certainly wasn’t the Spurs, who were awesome and great and poetic and selfless and just damn near perfect.
And now that the Finals are kaput, attention shifts to the NBA champs—er, I mean, the Heat’s Big Three.
Sucks, doesn’t it? We should be talking about the Spurs, and we will be. I know I will. But in the coming weeks, we will discuss and dissect LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade and their future in Miami.
Following the Heat’s Game 5 loss, Bosh, who hasn’t been shy about saying he plans to remain in Miami beyond this season, evaded inquiries lodged into his future, per CBS Sports’ Matt Moore:
Bosh didn’t commit to coming back one way or the other. “I don’t even know what I’m having for breakfast. I’ll figure that out first.”
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) June 16, 2014
First and foremost, I’d like to clear up what Bosh will be eating for breakfast:
Soggy fruity pebbles. MT @HPbasketball: Bosh didn’t commit to coming back: “I don’t even know what I’m having for breakfast."
— Dan Favale (@danfavale) June 16, 2014
Second—and I guess more importantly if you don’t consider Bosh’s cereal of choice imperative intel—this is when I like to remind everyone of something: There’s a reason free agency doesn’t start, like, right now, when the wounds are still open and the agony of defeat still unbelievably fresh.
LeBron was more diplomatic in his response than Bosh, basically telling us he hasn’t thought about it. He’s clearly a liar, which is fine. He doesn’t have to tell us. Neither does Wade. We know he’s going to be back. He’s not leaving $42-plus million on the table over the next two years. Not one chance.
Bosh has always been different, more candid and honest and forthright. You could even say he’s more sensitive in that he takes losses not more personally, but heavily. They weigh on him hard.
Naturally, he’s going to wax pessimism after whiffing on a third straight championship. Losing doesn’t feel good folks. Part of me feel’s like crying when I lose a pickup game on the blacktop. I can’t imagine how it feels to lose an NBA title that so many thought was theirs.
Next week, or even a few days from now, Bosh will feel differently. Reality will have set in. The sting of losing will linger slightly, but it’s affect on the big picture will have passed.
The Big Three aren’t disbanding. Write that down. It’s not going to happen. I’ll eat my own toenail clippings if they do. All three are coming back for at least another season. They have the opportunity to win three titles in five years. That’s still dynastic.
Still incredible.
Still worth sticking around at least another year for.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
