The San Antonio Spurs win the 2014 NBA Championship in a rematch with the Miami Heat.
It’s hard to believe that the Big Three—Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili—won their last NBA Championship in 2007 when Duncan and Parker were in their second seasons and Ginobili was only a rookie.
Success came fast for this young team, but the San Antonio Spurs couldn’t keep it up in the years that followed. Last year the Spurs got so close only to be knocked out by this same Miami Heat team but not this year! Tony Parker best expressed the feeling of winning the 2014 NBA Championship:
“It’s the sweetest one because it’s just unbelievable to win seven years ago, and to be so close last year, it was very cruel.”
The Spurs concluded a dominant season in which they had a league-best 62 wins. There’s no doubt that San Antonio avenged their heartbreaking loss to Miami Heat last year in the NBA finals. Their big win in Game 5, 104-87, over the Heat showed this rematch was worth the 12-month wait to finally reclaim the NBA championship.
In the first quarter, the Spurs fell behind 16 points but came back strong and gave the Heat their fourth loss in the series. San Antonio ended Miami’s shot at a third NBA championship. Defensively, Chris Bosh was held to 13 points and Dwyane Wade just 11 points for the Heat. LeBron James, who scored 31 points for Miami, told the media:
“They were the better team, and that’s why they’re the champions in 2014.”
Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs. Overall, San Antonio shot a record-breaking 52.8% in the series. The franchise added the 2014 NBA Championship to the title they won in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. This small-market team has won big—four titles in nine years—all with Duncan and Coach Popovich. Instead of using high paid top draft picks, the Spurs have focused on finding players overseas or from other organization who match up well with Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili to build the best postseason record for one trio—117 wins.
What’s next for San Antonio? The team will certainly face the same questions it has for a few years now. Should Duncan, Ginobili, and Popovich stick around? Is it time to rebuild the aging core of its team? The Heat will have to content with the free agency of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Even if these three all-stars stay, they will need some young talent to support them.
Right now, it’s time for the San Antonio Spurs to celebrate winning the 2014 NBA Championship.
