NBA Finals: Another Title in South Beach

NBA player LeBron James answers questions during a press conference after a preseason practice session Sept. 28, 2010, at the Aderholt Fitness Center at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The Miami Heat used the fitness center for their week-long training camp. James is a forward for the Heat. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In a series where no team had won consecutive games in the NBA Finals before Game 7, the Miami Heat won two consecutive games to win their second consecutive title.  They defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 Thursday night.  LeBron James, on the verge of not living up to the hype when it comes to winning championships (see:  Wilt Chamberlain), scored 37 points on his way to winning a second straight playoff MVP award.

The game was tight all the way, but the Spurs made too many crucial turnovers late to keep the Heat at bay.  And James had to will his team to play the way they did down the stretch.  That's what becomes a leader most.

This was kind of a bookend series, with four blowouts sandwiched in between three great games:  Tony Parker's buzzer beater to win Game 1 for the Spurs, the Heat coming back with a Ray Allen three pointer with seconds left in Game 6 to later win in overtime, and then the almost-anticlimactic Game 7.

The Heat had been expected to win another title, and in beating the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers during the Eastern Conference playoffs, they didn't always look dominant until it was time to assert themselves.  And again it was LeBron James who pulled his teammates through to get here.

The Spurs, with their aging lineup of Manu Ginobli, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, dominated the Western Conference during the regular season.  Then they went through the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies during the playoffs.  Given the fact that, with Gregg Popovich at the helm, the Spurs have won four NBA titles since 1999, this might very well be the last roundup.

So now King James sits atop the NBA throne clutching two Larry O'Brien championship trophies, ruling all he sees with sand and palm trees in the background, and Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Shane Battier as his royal princes.  How long will it be before James seeks out a new fiefdom, with more riches to behold and more titles to bestow upon him?  But that's for another day.  Right now in the NBA, hoops royalty resides in South Beach.