But if there was any hope at all, LeBron James ended it with his ridiculous block on Tiago Splitter. LeBron met Spliter at the rim to deny what looked to be a sure dunk for the Brazilian big man.

Yet another amazing highlight from the best player on the planet.

Mar 31, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) passes the ball as Miami Heat forward Chris Andersen (11) and Shane Battier (31) defend during the first half at the AT

On Thursday night, another edition of the NBA Finals will tip off. Here’s a little primer to get you ready for the action.

The Opponents:

Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs.

The Heat, representing the Eastern Conference are making their 3rd straight Finals appearance. They finished the season 66-16, good for the best record in both the Conference and the league.

The Spurs, making their first trip to the Finals since 2007, were the number two seed in the West, finishing with a 58-24 record.

The Path To Get Here:

Miami Heat:

1st Round: 4-0 series victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

2nd Round: 4-1 series victory over the Chicago Bulls.

3rd Round: 4-3 series victory over the Indiana Pacers.

San Antonio Spurs:

1st Round: 4-0 series victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

2nd Round: 4-2 series victory over the Golden State Warriors.

3rd Round: 4-0 series victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Starting Lineups:

Miami Heat:

PG: Mario Chalmers

SG: Dwyane Wade

SF: LeBron James

PF: Udonis Haslem

C: Chris Bosh

San Antonio Spurs:

PG: Tony Parker

SG: Danny Green

SF: Kawhi Leonard

PF: Tim Duncan

C: Tiago Splitter

The Schedule:

Game 1: At Miami – Thursday, June 6 at 9:00 PM ET on ABC.

Game 2: At Miami – Sunday, June 9 at 8:00 PM ET on ABC.

Game 3: At San Antonio – Tuesday, June 11 at 9:00 PM ET on ABC.

Game 4: At San Antonio – Thursday, June 13 at 9:00 PM ET on ABC.

Game 5: At San Antonio – Sunday, June 16 at 8:00 PM ET on ABC. (If necessary.)

Game  6: At Miami – Tuesday, June 18 at 9:00 PM ET on ABC. (If necessary.)

Game 7: At Miami – Thursday, June 20 at 9:00 PM ET on ABC. (If necessary.)

1. I’m the fool that believes in karma, and before the game even started tonight I was smacked across the face with good karma. First I was involved in a Twitter conversation with Justin Kanew, one of my favorite Amazing Race contestants ever. Soon after, Charles Barkley called Skip Bayless an idiot on live television, which immediately vaulted into the top five in my Best Moments of 2013 List. The Heat can thank Justin, Charles and I for the win.

Jun 3, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers shooting guard Lance Stephenson (1) during the first quarter of game 7 of the 2013 NBA Eastern Conference Finals at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

2. You know how at family gatherings the adults need to let the little kids join in on some of the activities and make them feel important so they don’t mope and whine the rest of the day? Well, I felt like Miami going to Wade and Bosh early and often was the equivalent of this. As LeBron stated on Inside the NBA, he made a point to get Wade and Bosh involved immediately. The first possession of the game was a play designed for Wade. The second possession was one for Bosh. And even though force feeding Wade and Bosh in the 1^st quarter didn’t equate to immediate results (Miami trailed 21-19 going into the 2^nd quarter), it was beneficial later on. Giving credit where credit is due, Wade and Bosh didn’t do the basketball equivalent of moping and whining at all.

3. In large part because of Wade and Bosh, the Heat had the rebounding edge for the first time in a coon’s age. They were understandably struggling to keep a much bigger Indiana team off the glass through the first six games, but collectively the Heat turned the energy level up to a notch that Indiana wasn’t ready to get to in Game 7. The epitome of this was a play Dwyane Wade made (Look at me giving Wade all kinds of love). Wade backed George Hill down in the post, missed a floater in the paint, beat Hill to the rebound, got fouled and made the basket. Wade wasn’t making that play in Games 1 through 6. And really, outside of LeBron, no Heat player was.

4. If getting beat of the boards wasn’t bad enough, Indiana’s problem with turnovers reared its ugly head in Game 7. The Pacers had 21 turnovers (15 in the 1^st half) against the one team in the league that you absolutely do not want to turn the ball over against.

5. Chris “Birdman” Andersen missed his first shot of the series (he missed two actually) bringing his streak of consecutive shots made to an end at 18 straight. Apparently being “caged” for Game 6—Everyone else had made that stupid joke, I figured I might as well join in while it was still somewhat appropriate—contributed to some rust in Game 7.

6. In more upbeat Birdman news, he effectively pulled the chair on David West, a move that is seldom used but so often effective. I love using that move in pick-up games at college against cocky jacked up frat bros who think they are God’s gift to this earth but can’t play a lick of basketball.

7. Speaking of David West, is he overrated or underrated right now? I haven’t gotten the memo yet. It seems like West is on a never ending teeter-totter which constantly gives him the title of “overrated” or “underrated.” More importantly for West, he might have a new title next to his name going into next season: Overpaid. If any free agent to be made himself some money this postseason it was West, who played with a certain edge and fearlessness against Miami, an attitude necessary if they are going to be beaten 4 out of 7 times. Indiana should have the cap space to keep West around, but don’t be surprised if he fields some big offers elsewhere.

8. My parents never fail to offer up noteworthy dialogue during Heat games. Their commentary makes games at least 20 times more stressful, but at times at least 20 times more entertaining too. Tonight my Dad rose up to the challenge of giving me a game related quote when twice he said “I hate that ******* ref” when talking about official Ken Mauer. I can’t help but wonder if he is going to get hit with a $75,000 fine for inappropriate language and for criticizing an official.

Jun 3, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) is defended by Miami Heat power forward Chris Andersen (11) in the fourth quarter during game 7 of the 2013 NBA Eastern Conference Finals at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell- USA TODAY Sports

9. This happened. And if that doesn’t get Roy Hibbert a Gatorade sponsorship, I don’t know what will. Well, on second thought, his recent media snafu might deter sponsors from rushing to his doorstep.

10. In all seriousness, props to Roy Hibbert.  The big man had been called soft at times, and on more than one occasion I made the all-too obvious jokes about how only after tennis, golf and piano fell through, Roy decided to play basketball. Hibbert shut me up this postseason and nearly ended the Heat quest for back to back titles too. I never thought I’d see the day that Hibbert would require constant fronting and double-teams every time he touched the ball even against a smaller team like Miami, but that day has come. Maybe this is a prisoner of the moment type statement, but Hibbert, who is only 26 years old, is arguably one of the three best centers in the league.

11. Oh yeah, this happened too. And Twitter lost its collective mind about it.

12. Paul George had a lackluster Game 7, but you can’t overstate how impressive Paul George was in the first six games of the series. In so many ways he’s the closest thing to LeBron that there is in the league, and he had no problems going toe to toe with him. Game 1 was George’s introduction to any casual basketball fan who hadn’t heard his two first names before. The late desperation three and the three very cool free throws to give Indiana the lead with 2 seconds left in overtime put George on the map. The dunk over Birdman and ensuing handshake with LeBron and the end of the 3^rd quarter put a star next to his name. The East belongs to Miami right now, but down the road it will belong to George, Hibbert, Vogel and the Pacers. Unless LeBron ditches Miami and goes back to Cleveland to play with Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson, the #1 pick in this year’s draft, and Anderson Varejao (or whatever Cleveland gets in a trade for him)… But that’s a different story for another time. Actually, let’s tackle that now.

13. What would’ve been the fallout if Miami blew Game 7? Prior to the game, I would’ve said one of three things happens:
A. Bosh or Wade gets traded and the makeup of the team changes so drastically that it puts Miami in a better position to make the Finals next year.
B. Bosh or Wade gets traded, but because they sucked so badly for the last two weeks the Heat can’t get a whole lot for two aging stars with huge contracts.

C. Things stay the same and Miami, coming in with the same exact team they had this year, loses to Indiana (or maybe a completely healthy Bulls team) next year.

Now since Miami didn’t lose in Game 7, the psyche of the team remains unchanged. The Big Three have made the Finals all three years they have been together, and armed with home court advantage, have put themselves in a situation where a repeat championship is very possible. They’ve maintained alpha dog status in the East and with four more wins, they join an elite group of teams that we won back to back titles. Things appear golden for Miami for years to come, but the Miami’s long term outlook isn’t looking too great, unless you believe that the collective funk that Wade and Bosh have been in is in fact just a funk and not two “star” players both well past their primes. Regardless, the window of the Heat trio is closing more quickly than some want to realize. The only question now is whether LeBron James will be trapped inside, or whether he’ll be the one closing it.

14. LeBron James continues to prove that while he is at the peak of his powers he doubles as the undisputed greatest basketball player alive. Aside from the obvious 32 points and 8 rebounds stat line, LeBron dominated Game 7 in every way imaginable, as he does so often. His most impressive form of domination tonight? How he made Paul George a complete non-factor in the game. George finished with 7 points on 2 for 9 shooting, 7 rebounds and 6 fouls in large part because LeBron had George in shackles off the ball all night long. George never had any room to breathe. It was an incredible display of individual defense. Just another notch in LeBron’s belt I suppose.

15. Now it’s on to the NBA Finals. Miami vs. San Antonio, in a matchup that is interesting outside of the X’s and O’s. It’s been a long time where so much legacy talk will be warranted in the Finals. Two weeks ago I wrote about what individuals had the most to gain in the remaining two rounds of the postseason. I had LeBron, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade, Erik Spoelstra, and Gregg Popovich ranked 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 8^th respectively. The stakes won’t be this high in an NBA Finals again for a very long time.

1: A little known rule: An NBA official should never be a trending topic on Twitter unless he kisses a former NBA player on the mouth after a race. That rule was broken during Game 4 when Joe Crawford was trending during the 4^th quarter. Look, I’m not one to complain about bad officiating when my favorite team loses, and I’m certainly not in a position to do so now. Not only was LeBron curiously whistled for four fouls in the 4^th quarter, but the refs also whiffed on a very obvious shot clock violation call that would’ve and should’ve been the lead on SportsCenter if the Heat had ended up winning the game. The Game 4 officiating crew was terrible all the way around and Game 5 was better (although by way of the current rules regarding flagrant fouls, Birdman should’ve been kicked out of the game after he truck-sticked Tyler Hansbrough). Officials should never do anything to garner this much attention. They should simply act as unbiased, uninvolved, and relatively silent beings that only exist but do not contribute to the result of the game in any way, shape or form… sort of like what Dwyane Wade has been doing.

2: Can my parents survive many more close Heat games? I certainly hope so. Watching Heat games with them makes my viewing experience at least 20 times more stressful than it would be otherwise. It’s gotten to the point that my mom’s dialogue during Miami games is eerily similar to that of Bobby Heenan’s when he used to rant about Ric Flair.  If the Heat were to win tonight I wouldn’t be surprised if she unleashed an emphatic, “To be the man, you have to beat the man!”

3: Watching Roy Hibbert and David West overwhelm Chris Bosh, Birdman, Udonis Haslem and Shane Battier down low has brought back memories of what it was like for me to try bang bodies with the seniors when I was a 9^th grader on the JV basketball team and we scrimmaged the varsity team. It was fundamentally unfair and feels that way now. If this continued to happen to Miami it didn’t seem possible that the Heat could win the series unless…

4: LeBron James, as Kenny Smith put it, “Turns into Superman.” In Game 5 he did. Will he put on the cape again tonight?

Let’s pick things up with Miami leading 40-39 going into the 2^nd half.

3^rd Quarter

11:25- Udonis Haslem draws his 185^th charge of the year, staying slightly ahead of Shane Battier for the team and league lead. Haslem was absolutely huge in Games 3 and 5, scoring 33 points on 16 for 18 shooting which is not what the Heat are used to from him…

11:00- If only Haslem was 3 or 4 inches taller he would’ve been able to prevent that tip-in from Roy Hibbert. Indy leads 41-40.

10:50- Hold on.

Sorry, I had to go splash some water on my face. Dwyane Wade made his first basket of the game off of an assist from LeBron. Steve Kerr brings up Dwyane Wade’s 40 point outburst against Indiana last year in Game 6. Let’s just say times have changed for Dwyane Wade, and not for the better.

Jun 1, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) shoots over Indiana Pacers shooting guard Lance Stephenson (1) during the second half in game six of the Eastern Conference finals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

10:11- It never fails. After he makes one shot, Dwyane Wade will always (Repeat: ALWAYS) take a shot on the very next possession. Wade and Bosh are now 2-13 in the game; 6 points, 4 rebounds, 4 turnovers.

9:04- As LeBron dribbles underneath the basket he draws a blocking foul on Roy Hibbert. It shocks me that LeBron through six games still refuses to challenge Roy Hibbert in the paint. I understand Hibbert is a giant, but Mario Chalmers is challenging him. Why isn’t LeBron?  Where did that floater go?

8:49- David West—apparently playing with a 103 degree fever thanks to a respiratory infection—hits his first shot of the game, prompting a quick timeout from Erik Spoelstra. To say that Miami is locked in right now would be like saying my parents are enjoying this game. Pacers lead 48-42.

8:10-7:50- Wade misses a transition layup which leads to audible laughter from me. You would think that I’m a “Heat hater” with how much I enjoy Dwyane Wade miscues. The sloppy sequence continues when Chalmers picks Paul George’s pocket and misses a second transition layup – this one as uncontested as any layup Chalmers had in warm-ups.

7:40- LeBron draws an offensive foul on Paul George and will likely lose a little money out of his bank account thanks to his reaction, which can only be described as “gunshot victim in a poorly produced action movie.” It wasn’t enough for LeBron to become the best basketball player in the world. He’s also the most egregious flopper on the planet.

6:11- Miami’s offense is reminiscent of bad pick-up basketball offense right now. You’d think these guys never played with each other before. Marv Albert called the Heat offense in the 3^rd quarter an “adventure.” “Downright effing terrible” was what came to my mind. Adventure works though.

5:55- No worries. Offensive juggernaut Joel Anthony is entering the game now after Udonis Haslem picks up his 4^th foul.

5:48- Roy Hibbert spins right past Joel Anthony and slams it home, leading to an angry Coach Spo timeout. “The Miami Cavaliers” is trending on Twitter right now. That’s actually unfair to the former Cavaliers. You want a stat to put things in perspective?

The 2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers started Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes and Sasha Pavlovic alongside LeBron James. During the Cavaliers 20 game postseason run in 2007, those starters (not including LeBron) averaged 44.5 points per game. Wade, Bosh, Haslem and Chalmers were averaging 42.8 points going into this game, and spoiler alert, that number is going to go down after Game 6.

5:30- Whoa look out! Dwyane Wade just buried a corner three off a dish from LeBron. I could’ve swore he had a “DNR” by his name, but apparently LeBron James taken control of the defibrillator and doing everything he can to make sure Wade maintains a pulse.

5:07- Paul George answers with a three of his own and the Pacers crowd goes bonkers. The Pacers lead by 11. It can’t be said enough how sensational Paul George has been this postseason. Offensively he’s risen to the challenge of matching the output of his defensive matchup, which more often than not has been the opposing teams best offensive player (Josh Smith, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron). Over the last week I’ve asked two reliable sources if they thought Paul George was a top ten player in the league. Both said yes. I’m leaning towards agreeing with them.

3:17- Ray Allen misses another three pointer. My mom continues to believe he is still under contract with the Celtics, simply acting as a saboteur to the Miami Heat championship hopes. I think she is only half kidding.

1:40- Forced to because it was late in the shot clock, LeBron challenges Hibbert in the paint and scores. The Pacers lead is cut to 14. It’s about damn time LeBron unleashes the floater. He perfected it last year and has only used it two or three times so far this series.

1:25- George blows right by Dwyane Wade, who might as well have been a department store mannequin, for the dunk. Pacers back up by 16. Again, George has been sensational tonight. Best player on the floor tonight and that includes LeBron.

2.6- LeBron drives to the basket and gets fouled by George, much to the dismay of the Pacers crowd. It’s LeBron’s first two free throw attempts of the game which makes a whole bunch of sense considering he’s spent no time in the post and hasn’t attacked the basket yet.

Jun 1, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) is defended by Indiana Pacers point guard George Hill (3) during the second half in game six of the Eastern Conference finals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

0.1- A silly pass by David West—maybe he’s on medication that is making him delusional— combined with cornerback like pursuit by LeBron leads to two freebies from LeBron at the line. Wow. That was a rough 3^rd quarter that could easily be a 17 point lead instead of just 13. Pacers lead 68-55 going into the 4^th quarter.

4^th Quarter

11:44- Boobie Gibson, JJ Hickson and Sasha Pavlovic enter the game for the Cleveland… oh wait, that’s not right. Mike Miller and his spotty facial hair come into the game for the Miami Heat. Appropriately, Miller travels on the first possession of the 4^th quarter. Good times.

11:01- Steve Kerr marvels at the fact that LeBron is saddled by Miller, Allen, Cole and Anthony right now. The likelihood of LeBron leaving Miami to go back to Cleveland in the summer of 2014 just went up at least 25 percent. Seriously, can anyone still make a rational argument as to why LeBron should stay in Miami instead of going back to Cleveland in 2014 without saying the phrase, “Well who wants to live in Cleveland?” Give me Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Anderson Varejao (or whatever the Cavaliers trade Varejao for), Tristan Thompson, the #1 pick in this draft and a lottery pick next year for the rest of LeBron’s career over the past their prime versions of Wade and Bosh, and a ragtag supporting cast featuring late 1^st round draft selections and veteran castoffs.

9:14- Frank Vogel advises Paul George to grab a quick timeout. Pacers lead 68-58.  Vogel is clearly in shock, either because he’s playing against the aforementioned Heat lineup, or because in nearly three minutes his team hasn’t scored against this Heat lineup.

8:11- Back to back three’s for Mike Miller and all of the sudden I’m “Gator chomping” in my living room. Pacers lead 70-64. This Heat lineup is improbably on a 9-2 run. I wonder if Spo would dare keep Wade and Bosh (4 for 18 right now) on the bench down the stretch.

5:25- After the Heat cut the lead to 4, Paul George drills a straightaway three to extend the lead back to 7. I feel like in the Small Forward power rankings, George is sitting firmly in 3^rdbehind LeBron and Durant. The only remaining question is whether George can even see Carmelo in his rearview mirror.

Jun 1, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) drives to the basket past Miami Heat center Joel Anthony (50) during the second half in game six of the Eastern Conference finals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

4:18- LeBron finally attacks the basket with Roy Hibbert in the game and gets called for a curious offensive foul. LeBron sprints the length of the court and shatters the 30 meter dash record in the process, but gets hit with a technical to nobody’s surprise. The camera catches Pat Riley with either a “Crap, I’ve got to get out of here before LeBron bolts to Cleveland next summer” or “Crap, Dwyane and Chris are slaughtering their trade value right now” look on his face. I can’t decide which one it is. It’s high quality comedy though. At this moment, the game is effectively over. Let’s recap what just went down.

The Pacers end up winning 91-77 and frankly it didn’t feel that close. Paul George was the best player on the basketball court (28 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals), and despite little mention in the running diary, Roy Hibbert wasn’t far behind (24 points and 11 rebounds). LeBron James was typical LeBron James (29 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists), which was supposed to be enough for Miami to have success in the playoffs. Here’s the catch. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh combined for 15 points and 6 rebounds on 4 for 19 shooting.

Game 7 is Monday night. Indiana is in prime position to make their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. They have the defending champs on the ropes and have turned them into a one man team. In Game 7 LeBron needs to be superhuman and the Wade/Bosh tandem needs to be more than just the Miami Heat version of Wally Szczerbiak and Joe Smith. Is that too much to ask?

After a missed shot by the Heat, Andersen makes a run at Hansbrough, delivering a pretty solid shoulder check that sent Hansbrough flying. The Pacers forward, upset with the cheap shot, got up and had words with Andersen.

As the two continued talking, they chest bumped each other, at which point, Andersen delivers another shove to Hansbrough’s chest.

As a result of the play, Andersen was hit with a Flagrant 1 foul and each player was given a technical.

The initial contact was a blatant cheap shot from Andersen, and I believe he should have been ejected from the game for his actions. I still don’t understand how Hansbrough deserved a technical, but the refs often hand out double technicals in an effort to somehow calm things down.

Game 6 is on Saturday, back in Indiana, and when it takes place, I don’t believe Andersen should be on the court. Not once, but twice, Andersen took unnecessary shots at Hansbrough.

What do you think. Should the Birdman be suspended for Game 6? Let us know by casting your vote below.

The conversation has reached a peak point following Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers.

Following a few incidents in Game 4, LeBron James, David West and Lance Stephenson have all been fined $5,000 for violating the league’s flopping policy, according to a report from NBA.com.

The first incident, involving Stephenson and Ray Allen came at the end of the 1st quarter. Stephenson and Allen bumped into each other, and as Allen spun around, his elbow came up, near Stephenson’s head. Stephenson flailed backwards as if he had been hit, trying to draw a foul on Allen – a move not bought by the referee.

The second incident, which both West and James were fined for, took place in the 4th quarter. As the two looked for position in the post, they bumped into each other – each one falling back in a dramatic manner, looking for a foul on the other. Instead, the refs let the play go, not calling anything.

His reputation for making those plays has even affected other players play. Knowing LeBron is behind them, chasing them down, changes their thought processes. Instead of going up strong, other players will sometimes adjust to a lower percentage shot so they don’t get blocked.

In the 3rd quarter of tonight’s Game 4, George Hill decided to test LeBron, and went right at him on a fast break. LeBron wasn’t chasing him down, rather coming at him from the side.

As Hill elevated for the layup, LeBron simply rose higher than the Pacers’ point guard and swatted the shot away. It was a magnificent display of athleticism by the game’s best player.

LeBron finished the night with 24 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, but the Heat fell to the Pacers, 99-92. And in a rare occurrence, LeBron fouled out of the game late in the 4th quarter on an offensive foul.

After a back and forth overtime period, the Pacers had the ball, down 101-99. After a scramble for a loose ball, Paul George once again found himself facing a last second shot. He let fly a desperate three, and was fouled by Dwyane Wade.

George calmly hit the three free throws to give the Pacers a 102-101 lead with 2.2 seconds remaining. But, the glory wasn’t meant for Paul George.

It was LeBron time. The whole arena, and everyone watching on TV knew who was getting the ball in the final possession, and LeBron didn’t disappoint. He grabbed the inbounds pass and spun on George, who overplayed too high. LeBron drove to the basket and finished with his left hand as the buzzer sounded, to give the Heat a thrilling 103-102 win in Game 1.

LeBron finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, giving him his ninth career triple-double.

Miami Heat:

Most Important Player:

Jack Maloney (@jmaloney9) – LeBron James. He’s the best player in the world. He’s the Heat’s best offensive player, best passer and best rebounder.

Reece Hooker (@ReeceJHooker) – If Chris Bosh can find a way to have an inside presence even against Indiana’s big man line-up, the Heat would be in great shape to win this series. LeBron will get his, Wade is likely to get his, but there’s a huge question mark over how Bosh will go complementing his peers in this one.

Vijay Shravah (@nbafanstake) – Dwyane Wade.  It seems as though we’re going through a deja vu from last postseason, where Wade didn’t come alive until Indiana took a 2-1 series lead against the Heat.  Up to that point, there were ongoing echoes that Wade was past his prime, too hurt to be effective, and that he is no longer the elite player we saw earlier in his career.  He finally broke out of his slump after an infamous confrontation with coach Erik Spoelstra after struggling in Game 3 of that series.  Well here we are again this postseason, where there is a growing sentiment that Wade has lost a step as he has struggled to find his rhythm all postseason long.  However, if he has a similar turnaround and breakout game during this series like he did last year, Miami will be unbeatable.

Quentin Haynes (@Haynesenburg) – I’m going to go with Norris Cole. I know that #6 is the best player on the planet, but this Miami will need some outside shooting, and while they beat Chicago in five games, the offense looked lackluster in the majority of those games. Now, they go up against a better defense. Norris Cole was the worst player in the regular season this past year, and now he’s the best PG on the Heat. He needs to keep it up.

Biggest Strength:

JM – Well, LeBron James. But beside that, their offense as a whole. With LeBron, Wade, Bosh and Allen off the bench, the Heat have one of the best offensive units in the league. They were the most efficient offense in the league in the regular season, scoring 110.3 points per 100 posessions.

May 15, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) dribbles the ball in the second half in game five of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the Chicago Bulls at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

RH – The Heat have the benefit of employing the best basketball player on the planet. Last time the Heat were in a Conference Finals, they played a team that on the whole played more consistent and superior team basketball, but still rolled over them thanks to a historic playoffs performance from LeBron. While personally I don’t think this series will reach seven games, the Heat are at their most dangerous when James is most inspired.

VS – Besides having the best player on the planet?  Offense.  Their offensive cohesion is nearly flawless; with a balanced attack, two of the greatest playmakers in the game, and plenty of outside shooters to space the floor, Miami is the most difficult team to guard in the NBA.  It seems like every game, they go on one or two huge 15-20 point spurts that seals the deal for them.

QH – LeBron, Wade, and Bosh. More importantly, their ability to draw fouls. If they could knock Hibbert out early and often, Miami might sweep.

Biggest Weakness:

JM – Rebounding and inside play, if anything. Chris Andersen has helped their rebounding woes, but they still don’t have a presence inside. Bosh is their tallest player, but he likes to play more of a perimeter game. If Roy Hibbert is on his game, he could cause some issues for the Heat.

RH – Miami’s rebounding has plagued them all year long, although alleviated since snaring Chris Andersen. However, while their rebounding prowess went from non-existent to mediocre with Anderson’s signing, they’re still vulnerable against a hungry, savvy and big Indiana squad.

VS – Rebounding.  Miami’s rebounding woes has been well documented throughout the season, as they finished dead last in rebounds per game.  ”Birdman” Chris Andersen was brought in late in the season to give Miami some size, and he has filled that role admirably.  And while their rebounding hasn’t been too terrible in the playoffs (currently 3rd in the league in rebounding differential per game), one has to believe their small-ball play along with Indiana’s size will lead to a big disadvantage on the glass.

QH – Dwyane Wade’s health issues. The Heat could drop a game or two if Wade can’t turn it up like he did in Game 6.

Indiana Pacers:

Most Important Player:

May 18, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) dunks against the New York Knicks in game six of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats New York 106-99. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

JM – Roy Hibbert. He’s the Pacers’ one big advantage, as the Heat lack a big man to match him. He dominated Tyson Chandler in the series vs. the Knicks, and the Pacers will need him to keep up this high level of play.

RH – Paul George has performed a lot of magic tricks this season, such as making Danny Granger disappear, but he has one more rabbit to pull from a hat this year – escaping Miami’s strait jacket. The Most Improved title holder will have a tough time against the Heat, who will likely try to blanket him with LeBron James, widely regarded as the league’s best perimeter defender. But if George is able to break from LBJ and have a big one, Miami will have a series on their hands.

VS – Roy Hibbert.  Critics have been hammering Hibbert’s lack of consistent production on the offensive end all season long.  Going against a Heat team that plays small, he MUST dominate the paint.  Miami has notoriously struggled against teams with bigs that can score and rebound, and Hibbert can easily fit that bill.  Miami will try to play up-tempo and negate Hibbert’s ability to impact the game.  So, it will be paramount for him to impose his will in order for the Pacers to pull off the upset.

QH – Roy Hibbert. Can’t make it any more clearer than that.

Biggest Strength:

JM – Defense. Just as the Heat were the league’s most efficient offensive team, the Pacers were the league’s most efficient defensive team, allowing just 96.6 points per 100 possessions in the regular season. They’ve played solid defense all postseason, but the Heat will be by far their toughest test.

RH – Indiana’s inside presence will be their key to winning the series. Roy Hibbert and David West have been terrorising opposing teams all year long and have found form at just the right time. The Heat’s job will be made infinitely harder if the Pacers can successfully run their offense through these guys.

VS – Interior Presence.  If the Pacers can somehow control the pace, Roy Hibbert and David West should dominate the paint.  Chris Bosh tends to struggle against bigger and stronger post players, and so the 4-5 tandem of Indiana should capitalize.

QH – Defense. Indiana can turn it up defensively, even better than Chicago.

Biggest Weakness:

JM – Consistency. For as well as the Pacers have played this year, they have games where they just seem to disappear, especially on the offensive end. If they want any chance of knocking off the Heat, they can’t afford to take any nights off.

RH – Points in the paint. While the inside game presents their strongest advantage on paper for the series, getting it to actually come together will be the biggest ask for the Pacers. They’ve rarely lit up the scoreboard all year and now must find a way to match it offensively with the high octane South Beach Show.

VS – Closing.  Indiana’s lack of crunch-time superstars may come to haunt them in this series.  Although the offense primarily has gone through Paul George and Roy Hibbert, I am skeptical as to whether the two of them can consistently produce down the stretch of what will likely be closely contested games.  With Miami having two of the best closers in the game, who’s going to match that on Indiana’s end?  They may have been alternating that role by committee, but someone is going to need to step up consistently against the loaded Heat.

QH – The bench. Let me throw this out to you:

Gerald Green.

D.J. Augustin.

Tyler Hansbrough.

Jeff Pendergraph.

Ian Mahinmi.

Those five combined for 213 points this postseason. That’s not good at all.

Series Prediction:

JM – Heat in 6.

RH – Miami takes it in 6, with Indiana stealing one on the road but ultimately coming up short in a physical series.

VS – Miami in 7.  I think the Pacers are tremendously confident against Miami and will be a tough out, but I just can’t see LeBron and D-Wade letting this Heat team lose.  Period

QH – Heat in……..5. I think Indiana wins one at home.

The Heat were led in the scoring department by Dwyane Wade, who finished with 21 points on 8-14 shooting. 2 of those points came mid-way through the 3rd quarter, as Wade slammed home a missed jump shot by Mario Chalmers.

It was an incredible burst of athleticism combined with exquisite timing.

Mar 20, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) walks to the bench during a timeout in the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Heat:

Biggest Strength: LeBron James. There’s not much to say here that hasn’t already been said. At this point, James is nearly unstoppable. The consensus MVP just finished arguably the most impressive regular season in history. He has become devastatingly efficient on the offensive end, shooting 56% from the field and 40% from three. He also leads the Heat in both rebounding and assists. And the scary thing for the Bucks is that as LeBron showed last year in Game 6 of the ECF, he can turn things up a level in the playoffs.

Player To Watch: Once again, LeBron James. After finally winning that elusive championship last year, he came back with a truly dominant regular season. LeBron has reached the point where every time he plays it is must watch TV just to see what he’ll do next. No matter how quickly this series is over (and it’ll probably be over pretty quick) LeBron will give us a number of memorable plays. Whether they’re high-flying alley oops, crisp passes, or a big chase down block, you’ll just have to tune in and see. The chance to watch the greatest player of this generation should never be passed up.

Mar 15, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Monta Ellis (11) drives for the basket against Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) at the Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Milwaukee Bucks:

Biggest Strength: Rebounding. If there is any area the Bucks might have an advantage on the Heat, it would be on the glass. The Bucks aren’t winning this series, (sorry Bucks fans) but if they want any chance at stealing a game or two, they absolutely need to rebound well. Their advantage on the glass is nowhere near as big as it might look at first glance. The Bucks may have grabbed an average of 5 rebounds a game more than the Heat, but there is more to look at than just how many rebounds a team got. The two teams had nearly identical rebound percentages. (The percent of how many available rebounds your team corralled.) This is the only aspect of the game that the Bucks have a chance to win, and its vital they do so. LARRY SANDERS! will rebound, but he needs help, especially from Ersan Ilyasova and the guards.

Player To Watch: Monta Ellis. Monta Ellis thinks he has it all, and he’ll need to if the Bucks want to steal a few games. Ellis might be an infuriating player, especially for the analytics crowd because of his shot selection, but he’s certainly fun to watch. On any night, Ellis is capable of going for 40. (Even if it takes him 25 or 30 shots to get there.) In the last few months, his assist numbers have also been very good. It should be fun to watch Ellis in his first playoff series since 2006-2007 with Golden State.

Prediction: Heat in 5. This isn’t a question of who will win, rather how fast the Heat will be able to dispatch the Bucks. (Sorry Brandon Jennings.) While I certainly wouldn’t be surprised by a Heat sweep, I think the Bucks will be able to sneak out one game at home. The Bucks are just overmatched here, and the Heat will shortly be on their way to continue their title defense.

Mar 25, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Miami Heat center Chris Bosh (1) sits on the bench during the third quarter at Amway Center. Miami defeated Orlando 108-94. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Disappointing news in the NBA world today, as we learned the home of the Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh was burglarized late last night.

According to a report from NBC News Miami, the incident occurred while Bosh was celebrating his birthday.

“Miami Heat player Chris Bosh and his wife returned home from his 29th birthday party to find they had been robbed of $340,000 worth of jewelry and purses, but his 2012 NBA Championship ring was left untouched, Miami Beach Police said Thursday.”

“When the Boshes got home they realized their closet had been ransacked, police said. No one who was home heard anything, and apparently the thieves handpicked the items they were stealing, police said.”

Having your home burglarized and your sense of security shattered is something no one should have to deal with, NBA player or not. The good news is that no one was hurt in the incident.

Post-game, the MVP fancy couldn’t help but comment on the situation, telling reporters: “It’s been happening all year, and I’ve been able to keep my cool and tell [Erik Spoelstra], ‘let’s not worry about it’. But it is getting to me a little bit. Every time I try to defend myself, I’ve got to face the consequences of a flagrant or a technical foul or whatever the case may be. It’s tough. It’s very tough.”

Ainge, a two-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics during his playing career, discussed the situation with Boston radio station WEEI following the comments. Ainge disagreed with LeBron’s assessment of the situation and backed the referees on both counts, in allowing the hard fouls from Gibson and Hinrich and also calling the flagrant foul for the shot on Boozer. However, Ainge made sure his comments hit home by adding, “I think that it’s almost embarrassing that LeBron would complain about officiating.”

Not a man to let his players go defenseless, Heat President Pat Riley released a brutal statement through the team to officially respond to Ainge. “Danny Ainge needs to shut the f— up and manage his own team. He was the biggest whiner going when he was playing and I know that because I coached against him.”

Riley coached the legendary ‘Showtime Lakers’ through the eighties while Ainge was a part of the famous Celtics team led by Larry Bid, a decade-long rivalry that is now carved into NBA folklore. While it has since subsided, I’m sure Riley was especially provoked by Ainge’s comments because he was a Celtic. The Celtics have been tormentors for Riley since he left the Lakers, with the Heat and Celtics locking horns in some intense battles since Riley brought together Miami’s Big 3.

Ainge has since moved to distance himself from a beef, stating “I think we were both right,” and conceded he was a frequent complainer during his playing days, and also agreed he should manage his own team. However, if the preceding Lil Wayne/Pusha-T feud has taught us anything about modern day beef, this isn’t the end of it. Following the exchange of words, both will proceed to downplay it, and then make passive-aggressive allusions to each other in their upcoming songs. Prepare to see Danny Ainge go off on his upcoming single, with featuring vocals from The-Dream.

Alternatively, I’d be happy to see Doc Rivers’ proposal go into action. The Boston coach told reporters. “I think it’s funny. Very interesting. I think it’s cool. They should duke it out.” While both men are known more for their work on the basketball court, I’d be very keen to see them square off the boxing ring. Personally, I’d take Pat Riley in a split decision.

After falling down by 27 points at one point in the 3rd quarter, the Heat stormed back to eventually win 98-95 and extend their streak to 24 games.

A scary moment took place early in the 4th quarter, however, as a fan rushed onto the court. He appeared to be a LeBron fan, wearing a shirt with a message saying “We miss you.” While it appears he had no malicious intents, (LeBron even gave him a high five) it was still disconcerting to everyone watching.

Behind big performances from Nikola Vucevic and Jameer Nelson, the Orlando Magic battled back to take a 96-95 lead with 12 seconds left.

Unfortunately for them, the Heat have LeBron James. James drove the lane, and simply overpowered DeQuan Jones as he put home a lefty lay-up to give the Heat a 97-96 victory. The Heat now have a 16 game win streak, the longest in franchise history.

After cutting to the basket, LeBron soared through the air and caught a pass with one-hand, before throwing down a powerful dunk.

Mar 1, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) reacts during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at the American Airline Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

I have never claimed to be an expert. I’m just a basketball fan who cares way too much for his own good. That’s why I allow myself to not only have rooting interests in the game, and make them pretty well known. I’ve always been vocal about my love for LeBron James and Stephen Curry, never-ending worry about the Boston Celtics, and incredible frustration about the fact that Dwight Howard isn’t universally despised by basketball fans. I like to think that even though I am far from afraid to voice my opinions, those opinions never cloud my judgment when I evaluate what is going on in the NBA.

The Miami Heat have not lost in one month. That is what’s going on in the NBA right now. They’ve collected thirteen straight wins thanks to a truly historic stretch of basketball by LeBron James, the best stretch of the season by Dwyane Wade, and a number of other timely contributions from a supporting cast that sometimes seems a little overqualified to be considered just a supporting cast. In the midst of this, the Heat have accomplished something that goes beyond the box scores. They’ve shed that elusive villain tag that so many people placed on them in the summer of 2010. They’ve become the loveable Goliath of the NBA in part because of amazing singular talent, breath-taking fast breaks, and on-court team chemistry that occasionally seems to be far ahead of any other team in the league. But this transformation from heel to face goes beyond the collective success on the court.

After the Indiana Pacers handled the Heat in game three of the Eastern Conference semis last year I wrote a scathing piece about how much I disliked the Heat. It was fueled by the loss, but there was definitely some resentment towards the team that never quite seemed like the team I was used to watching LeBron James play for in Cleveland the previous few seasons. It was LeBron and a group of misfits running teams out of the gym and laughing, dancing, and taking family photos while doing it. You knew they loved playing together. It was close to two full seasons together, and I wasn’t getting the impression that was ever going to happen with the Miami Heat. The rest is history.

Feb 23, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) and guard Dwyane Wade (3) enjoy the game from the bench late in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Heat defeated the Sixers 114-90. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron took his game to another level for the next fifteen games, Dwyane Wade transformed into Robin (What’s up Skip?), and everything else fell into place. The pressure was off after the first ring came, and this year it’s glaringly obvious that the Heat are playing with a different mentality than ever before. The Heat are playing like a team that knows they can take their game to another level when need be. The tenseness and constant discussion of “Who’s taking the last shot?” is long gone. Even when that late game situation presents itself, it seems like it is solved organically rather than through a long and constant struggle in the huddle and in the media afterwards. They’ve got a title under their belt; they don’t need to answer to the media.

For the first time in two years, I see this Heat team the same way I saw those Cavaliers teams in the past. LeBron is LeBron. He’s the most talented basketball player in the last twenty years, the best athlete in the history of basketball, and has mentally mastered the game like so few have before him. Dwyane Wade has gone from a player I legitimately disliked, to a player I love to hate and hate to love. He’s the most overqualified “Robin” in the league. In that same breath, Chris Bosh is the most overqualified third wheel, and the best photo bomber in the league. The rest of the fifteen man roster falls into place just as the remaining fourteen did back in Cleveland. They do the dirty work, hit open threes, and give their best impressions of college cheerleaders when they are sitting on the bench. But like I said, the Heat transformation into the likeable winners has been an off the court endeavor as well.

The Heat are putting on a show before the game begins by holding their own pseudo dunk contests, much to the dismay of one Skip Bayless, who will grasp at the shortest straws when trying to criticize LeBron James. LeBron, Wade and Miami native James Jones attended a Miami Hurricanes game a few weeks back. And do I even need to mention the Harlem Shake video? I’ve watched it at least 25 times and find something new to laugh at every time I watch it (Check out my evaluation of the Heat Harlem Shake video over at my blog LaterNamed). Is there any doubt LeBron and the rest of the Cavaliers would’ve made a video like this? Not one bit.

This is what I love about this Heat team. They’ve coupled that on the court success with off the court likeability, which is an extremely rare combination to find in professional sports. They’ve won convincingly against the Clippers, ugly against the Grizzlies, and impressively on the road against the Thunder. LeBron James is putting together the best individual season of basketball in 10 years… 20 years… 30 years? And as a team, you can see they are having fun doing it all. What’s not to love?

It’s easy to let your opinion of an athlete or team mess with your perspective about what is going on in the world of sports. But this time, what’s going on in the world of sports is changing my ideas about the Miami Heat. Maybe it’s because of the win streak. Maybe it’s because of the Harlem Shake. Maybe it’s because of the level of mastery LeBron James is at. But I can’t fight this feeling anymore. Finally, I have to call myself a Miami Heat fan.

Jan 14, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts to a call during the second half against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. The Jazz won 104-97. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Erik Spoelstra has been called a lot of different things during the past three seasons with the Miami Heat – lucky, bad, soon-to-be-fired and a lot of other names we can’t print on a family friendly site. But there’s one title that too often eludes the 42 year old head coach of

 the Miami Heat – a great NBA coach, and perhaps it’s high time to start calling him one because, well, he’s pretty darn great.

It’s understandable how some view the coach as a franchise’s weak point when your on-court personnel includes one of the greatest players to ever set foot on the hardwood, a former Finals MVP and an eight-time NBA All-Star. However, Spoelstra’s done enough with rosters that range from fringe playoff contenders to an elite collection of players to justify his standing as one of the NBA’s better coaches.

Spoelstra has demonstrated versatility in his coaching, taking the reigns in 2008 and successfully integrating rookies Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley into key parts of the Heat’s rotation. The new-look Heat turned their 18-64 record in 2008 into 42-40 in the span of a mere season, Spoelstra’s first after taking over from Pat Riley. The return of Dwyane Wade, who played an additional 28 games the following season. However, a 34 game turnaround is a remarkable feat no matter how you view it and the Heat went from bottom of the East to the fifth seed in the matter of a season. The Miami Heat are yet to miss the Playoffs under the man they call ‘Spo’, bowing out in the first round for two straight years before the Big Three stormed South Beach.

Erik Spoelstra lacks the playcalling ability of Gregg Popovich, the defensive prowess of Tom Thibodeau or the locker room control of Phil Jackson; but he’s no scrub in any element of the game. Spoelstra’s keen eye for video analysis has been a longtime strength in his coaching, and he manages to pre-plan for matches brilliantly. While his ability to make in-game adjustments down the stretch is at times questionable, he manages to ensure he enters every game with a sound plan that rarely misses anything. Spoelstra’s uncanny genius lies in the creativity between his adjustments.

While his predecessor Pat Riley was known for the subtle changes he’d do between games – moving the placement of his screens or calling a cut at slightly a different angle – Spoelstra has become inventive and uncanny in the brash line-up moves he’ll make between games. During last year’s Finals series with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Spoelstra boldly moved the undersized Chris Bosh to Center – the fourth player to start at Center for Miami’s postseason. The move allowing Shane Battier and Chris Bosh to form a pacey frontcourt that could outrun Oklahoma City’s big duo of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins. The obvious drawback, of course, was the height that the Heat would sacrifice  By this stage, a move that bold was certain to make or break the series; and Erik Spoelstra came out on top as the Heat took home the title.

Phil Jackson was a coach who was lauded for his ability to make his superstars work in unison to overcome problems at point guard and at times, a lack of depth off of the bench. Jackson is still one of the hottest names in coaching and his potential return to the Lakers at the start of this season stole headlines around the league – his reputation and greatness is undeniable. Spoelstra has worked through two successive campaigns with point guards such as Carlos Arroyo, an ancient Mike Bibby, Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers; hardly the household names rival coaches Scott Brooks and Doc Rivers has had at their disposal. Similarly, Miami’s bench is among the NBA’s worst – 28th to be precise – with their bench chipping in a mere 23 points per game which is almost half league-leading Denver’s 41.5 points off of the pine. Part of Jackson’s legacy is attributed to the record breaking 11 championships he has won, and that’s part of the reason he and Spoelstra are incomparable.

Regardless, the gap between Jackson and Spoelstra isn’t as worlds apart as some believe. Spoelstra has proven he can take bad rosters into the playoffs, and bring good rosters together to make them great. That’s not to say Spoelstra could handle an ego on the level of Kobe or Jordan like Jackson did, or he could lead a team to a championship without the best player on the planet as he’s done with LeBron James; but the time is gone to call Erik Spoelstra a bad coach in the NBA. When he takes the court to coach this Eastern All-Stars this coming weekend, you can be certain that Erik Spoelstra belongs at All-Star weekend just as much as LeBron and KD.

Dec 15, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; A photo of Miami Heat center Chris Bosh is carried through the stands before a game against the Washington Wizards at the American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Bosh made headlines a week ago when he staked an absolutely ridiculous claim. When asked by FOX Sports Florida about his current Hall of Fame credentials, Bosh had this very interesting thing to say:

“Hell, yeah, of course. I’ve been a Hall of Famer like four years ago. And I say that very serious, though. I’ve talked about it before with my friends.”

First let me preface this by saying that when his career is over, Chris Bosh has a very legitimate shot at the Hall of Fame. His career numbers are tremendously consistent, he’s now an 8-time All-Star (which I still can’t believe), he’s was “the featured guy” for a franchise over a significant number of years and now, he has at least one NBA championship on his resume. All very impressive.

However, Chris Bosh seems to have lost his damn mind.

It was as much the way in which Bosh so nonchalantly delivered his answer, with a strong sense of dismissal toward the question. Like we didn’t already know?

I don’t just have a problem with the way Bosh answered, but the fact that he so arrogantly decided to exaggerate his greatness by saying he’s not only a Hall of Famer today (wrong), but he was four years ago, while struggling to achieve a .500 record with the perenially lowly Toronto Raptors.

But why the significance of “four years ago” Chris? Why four? What does that number even mean? What was happening then? If I remember correctly, he was toiling in irrelevance while trying to lead a Raptors ball club into an 8th seed of the Eastern Conference. Yes, that Eastern Conference.

Does he think at that time, his numbers were simply that incredible? Hell, he just finished his sixth season. His SIXTH! His 6th! That’s a grand total of 439 career games! Unfortunately, he’s irrefutably mistaken. After completing that sixth season, Bosh was sitting at 19.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 50.1% shooting. Certainly those are very impressive numbers for six full seasons in the NBA, all of them on mediocre-to-bad Raptor teams, but we’re talking about the Hall of Fame here, not simply an All-Star Game appearance.

Would anyone else in their right mind have the balls to say they are a Hall of Fame player after six season? LeBron, Kobe, anyone? Hell, Jordan wouldn’t have even said that, and all those guys breathe confidence like it’s oxygen.

Of course Bosh does now have his one NBA championship to his name, so maybe that’s where this extreme over-confidence is coming from? You’re good Chris, but hell, with this kind of swag, you’re scaring the children!

At least Joe Johnson was kind enough to give us this highlight as a parting gift reminder.

First, let me say that Skip and I do agree on one thing. To compare the legacy of LeBron James to Michael Jordan is foolish and premature. It’s also foolish and premature to compare LeBron’s legacy to the legacies of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, etc. LeBron James is 27 years old and in the midst of only his tenth NBA season. It isn’t fair to compare Kobe Bryant to any of those individuals. It isn’t fair to compare Tim Duncan to any of those individuals. In my eyes, any talk of that magical buzzword “legacy” should be left until after a player is retired and the story of that individuals playing career is finished.

A very young LeBron James meets Michael Jordan

Skip is hypocritical in saying that LeBron James isn’t “in the same solar system with Michael Jordan.” After all, Skip and his counterpart, Stephen A. Smith, are the ones who debate these kind of topics every day. Skip Bayless put LeBron James in the same solar system as Michael Jordan as soon as he said that LeBron wasn’t in that solar system. The way the media shoves the legacy talk down our throats, we as fans become overly critical of the accomplishments and failures of athletes. I’m guilty of it. I’m sure you are guilty of it too. Because of this, there will be no more mention of the word “legacy” on my part in this article. LeBron has a lot of basketball ahead of him. It’s like if you watched all of The Godfather and then the first half of The Shawshank Redemption and tried to compare the two movies. You wouldn’t do that would you? Of course not. It’s nonsensical. And again, I’m not blaming just Skip Bayless for this. Everyone does it. What does that leave me to talk about then? Well luckily, Skip gives me plenty to pick at. Skip states that “what LeBron pulled off after nine long NBA seasons is being laughably overrated.” Hmmm, okay, this looks like a pretty good place to start. Truthfully, I wasn’t completely taken aback when I read this statement in Skip’s article because this is the same man who has been underrating and even mocking LeBron James for years. As the 2012 playoffs were taking shape, LeBron was in the process of doing just about everything he could to eliminate any possible gripes that critics and analysts had in the past… except for one particularly mouthy critic who LeBron will apparently never be able to silence. During Miami’s postseason run Skip was excessively critical of LeBron James, and remains critical in his recent article. I did my work and dug up some YouTube videos that in retrospect actually make Skip look more biased than he did at the time he was actually giving his analysis.

Here I offer three playoff games, LeBron’s stats in those games, and Skip’s reaction on First Take the following day. Click on the link for each game if you want to re-watch Skip’s First Take comments and see what it is like to be able to talk about an issue and have no real concerns whether what you say sounds intelligent or not.

Game Four at Indiana 
LeBron’s stats: 40 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists, 14-27 field goals, 12-16 free throws
Skip’s Take: Skip gave LeBron an A grade for the grade. High praise coming from the man who over the years has made a habit of calling LeBron “Prince James” and “The Frozen One.” There is one problem with Professor Bayless’ grading curriculum. He gave Dwyane Wade an A+, who came alive in game four for 30 points after an absolutely horrendous six-quarter stretch of basketball. Skip credited Wade for making all of the big shots in the game, and scoring 22 points in the 2^nd half. Very hard to argue with all of that. In this instance, it isn’t so much what Skip said but what he managed not to say. Skip was quick with the stat that Wade had 22 points in the 2^nd half, but swiftly brushing aside Stephen A. Smith’s comment that LeBron had 21 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists in the 2^nd half. Skip also forgets—well, actually neglects to mention that statistically LeBron did something that had only been done once before in NBA playoff history (by Elgin Baylor 51 years earlier).

Game Six at Boston: Part One  & Part Two 
LeBron’s stats: 45 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 19-26 field goals, 5-9 free throws
Skip’s Take: This one just baffles me. I’ve watched nearly every meaningful game LeBron James has played over the last decade, and I can honestly say this was the most nervous I’d ever been. There is no way any athlete alive has ever felt that kind of pressure that LeBron felt in this game. This was a game six on the road after dropping 3 straight games to the rival Celtics. Don’t just take my word for it. Take the word of one of the most knowledgeable basketball experts in the world. Someone whose opinion I respect much more than Skip Bayless. And someone who was also hoping LeBron James would be on the losing end of game six.

You can’t imagine what this was like to witness in person. I know Michael Jordan had similarly astonishing games, and others, too, but not with stakes like that. This wasn’t just an elimination game. This was LeBron James’s entire career being put on trial … and it only took an hour for him to tell the jury, “Go home. I’m one of the best players ever. Stop picking me apart. Stop talking about the things I can’t do. Stop holding me to standards that have never been applied to any other NBA player. Stop blaming me for an admittedly dumb decision I never should have made. Stop saying I’m weak. Stop saying that I don’t want to win. Stop. Just … stop.”

Those were the words of ESPN’s Bill Simmons, the author of a 700-plus page Book of Basketball. Contrarily, the next day on First Take Skip Bayless said “Last night was the least pressure that has ever been on LeBron James in a playoff game” and even tried to argue that what LeBron did the previous night wasn’t clutch because he didn’t take over in the 4^th quarter. That’s like saying Michael Jordan shouldn’t get so much credit for game one of the 1992 NBA Finals because he didn’t take over the 4^th quarter. Maybe Skip just didn’t watch the game. I’ll try to give him a quick rundown in an attempt to explain why LeBron didn’t take over in the 4^th quarter. LeBron had won the game already. The 4^th quarter was irrelevant. The Celtics were done. The Boston crowd was done. And even though we didn’t know it yet, the NBA Playoffs were done. Is my explanation not good enough? Once again, let me hand this one over to Bill Simmons.

He single-handedly murdered one of the giddiest Celtics crowds I can remember. Thirty points in the first half. Thirty! All with that blank look on his face. It was like watching surveillance video of a serial killer coldly dismembering a body and sticking the parts in the fridge. Only we were right there.

I digress.

Game Five vs. Oklahoma City
LeBron’s stats: 26 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists, 9-19 field goals, 8-9 free throws
Skip’s Take: After an historic postseason run that was capped off with a triple double in game five, Skip Bayless still had the idiotic nerve to say that LeBron James didn’t have the clutch gene. I’m tired of doing this, but I will summarize LeBron’s postseason one more effing time for the learning impaired Skip Bayless.

LeBron holds the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time

Throughout the playoffs, LeBron averaged 30.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 50% shooting. For stat geeks, these are numbers than nobody has ever put up in a postseason. For historians, LeBron had six legitimately memorable games. Game four at Indiana, game six at Boston, game seven vs. Boston, game two at Oklahoma City, game four vs. Oklahoma City, game five vs. Oklahoma City.Skip pointed out all of the help that LeBron got throughout the Finals:

Shane Battier, who made 62 3-pointers in 65 regular-season games, hit five 3s in Game 2! Dwyane Wade, fighting a bad knee and a worse custody battle, scored 25 in Game 3 as the Miami stage proved too big for the self-destructing young Thunder! Mario Chalmers — MARIO CHALMERS — scored 25 in Game 4, including 12 in the fourth quarter! And 6-foot-8 Mike Miller, who measured 5-8 because he was so hunched over with back pain, hit 7 of 8 3s in the closeout Game 5!

Since he likes to compare LeBron to Michael Jordan (oh wait, Skip hates that, yet he continually makes those comparisons), let’s take a look at the help Jordan had in the Finals. In the deciding games of the 1993 and 1997 NBA Finals it wasn’t Michael Jordan who made the game winning shots. Those honors belong to John Paxson and Steve Kerr respectively. Would anyone argue that because Michael Jordan didn’t take those shots he wasn’t clutch, or was afraid to have the ball in his hands late? That would be heresy. What about how in game six of the 1996 NBA Finals Michael Jordan went 5 for 19 from the field. Skip wouldn’t even acknowledge that LeBron played great when he put together a triple double in the title clinching game. Imagine what he’d be saying if LeBron went 5 for 19. Holy crap, he’d probably suggest we start burning LeBron jersey’s in the street again. In the game five of the 1991 NBA Finals Scottie Pippen had 32 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists as the Bulls closed out the Lakers. Good thing Michael had Scottie, Paxson, Kerr, or else he might’ve never gotten those six rings.

You see, I’m being partly sarcastic. I realize that every great player needs at least a little bit of teammate help. Skip Bayless is dead serious, and also completely ignorant. But that is beside the point.

Coming from such a big LeBron fan, maybe my argument doesn’t pack the kind of punch that it would if someone a little less biased was presenting it. But I am more that capable of admitting that there have been some shaky moments in the career of LeBron James. Was he spectacular in his first NBA Finals appearance in 2007 against San Antonio? No, far from it. After he spoiled us with an all-time great game 5 at Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals, was mediocre in the Finals. You could see that LeBron was overmatched by a superior team, hindered by a historically crappy supporting cast, and not totally ready to win an NBA Championship.

In 2009 LeBron and the Cavaliers won 66 games in the regular season but fell short in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Orlando Magic. Skip Bayless likes to imagine that in that series LeBron disappeared. Yeah, that was the quietest 38 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists per game I’ve ever seen. Come on Skip, open your eyes. You are only seeing what you want to see. Sure, LeBron and the Cavs fell short of expectations but what more could LeBron have done?

The only legitimate gripes Skip could have against LeBron is the 2010 Eastern Conference semi-finals against Boston, where LeBron really did disappear in game five, and then the 2011 NBA Finals where LeBron transformed from the Chosen One to the Frozen One. Skip saw that. Everyone saw that. I saw that. And I can admit it and say that LeBron did not perform like someone who should be compared to Michael Jordan. As Skip stated, it was the biggest superstar collapse in history. Agreed Skip.

In his article, Skip put more emphasis on Daniel Gibson’s explosion in game six of the Eastern Conference Finals and LeBron falling short in the Finals than he did LeBron’s 48 point game five. The only specifics he gives of that game was LeBron air-balling a potential game winner in the first overtime. He neglects to mention the fact that LeBron scored 29 of Cleveland’s last 30 points in the 4^thquarter and the two overtimes. He also forgets to mention the game tying dunk in regulation and game winning lay-up in double overtime. Not clutch enough for Skip must be. Or maybe Skip, on his imaginary Planet LeBr-Honesty, only wants to look at one side of things.

LeBron hammers home the game tying dunk in regulation at Detroit in game five of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals

Skip would never talk about the way LeBron turned the Cavaliers franchise around. He would only talk about how he tore it down. He would never talk about the three MVP’s LeBron has won and leave it at that. He would only talk about how no three-time MVP has been as disappointing as LeBron. He would never mention the four straight first-team defenses LeBron has been named to. He would rather talk about the clutch gene and how Carmelo Anthony has it and LeBron doesn’t. Carmelo Anthony, someone who has been out of the first round of the playoffs exactly once in his 9 year career. And Skip wants to criticize LeBron for only having one ring.The most impactful part of Skip’s article comes when he talks about the reaction after the Heat won the NBA title.

Yet in the days that followed, all I heard from fans, debate foes, players and ex-players was: “You were wrong about LeBron.” Heck, I even heard from many Cavs fans who suddenly had forgiven and forgotten.

That’s when the entire basketball world began to suffer selective, collective amnesia. It was as if LeBron had been LeBorn Again as the Next Jordan. Now he was Beyond Criticism.

I don’t ask that Skip stops being critical of LeBron, or any athlete for that matter. That’s his shtick. Nobody suffered selective, collective amnesia Skip. We are all just living on planet earth where it is acceptable to recognize the failures AND successes of athletes. Skip showed glimpses of objectivity. Reading his article provided momentary breaths of fresh air. It was nice to see that Skip could actually acknowledge some of the good things that LeBron has done over his career. I’m not used to that. For this I will give Skip a very condescending round of applause just like he did with LeBron after he won his first championship. Good job Mr. Bayless! Maybe you are finally coming around. If you want to join the rest of us on planet earth, you’re more than welcome. But if you want to remain on Planet LeBr-Honesty and come off as bitter, spiteful and uneducated, feel free.

#SonnyVsSkip