Kevin Durant raises his arms in victory as the Thunder close out the Spurs 4-2, 107-99

Written by

Jude Bautista

Oklahoma Thunder team owner Clayton Bennett upon receiving the 2012 Western Conference trophy said, “All I can think of is how this incredible group of young men has unified this city and the whole state like never before.” This is what I was referring to last year when I wrote, “OKC, MEM, DAL Crown is better for NBA.”

OKC Team owner Clayton Bennet after receiving the 2012 Western Conf. Trophy

The San Antonio Spurs had it all on their favor, going up 2-0 in the Western Conference Finals, on a 20 game winning streak. All NBA.com pundits saw them winning this year’s crown.

From left: James Harden, Kevin Durant, Javalee McGee and Derrick Williams at the SMART Ultimate All Star Weekend last July 23, 2011. The historic event happened at the newly unveiled SMART Araneta Coliseum. Photo by Jude Bautista

Two weeks ago after OKC beat the Lakers I already predicted them to win the NBA championship. I wrote it on my facebook wall along with my Manila/PBA/Smart Araneta visit photos of KD, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. I wrote about the OKC stars trip here, “Dream Come True Dunkathon.” When the Spurs won 2-0 it seemed I spoke too soon. Everyone was saying OKC was too young, didn’t have enough mental fortitude versus the 5 time champion Spurs.

James Harden rises for a dunk at the SMART Ultimate All Star Weekend last July 23, 2011. The historic event happened at the newly unveiled SMART Araneta Coliseum. Photo by Jude Bautista

Kendrick Perkins’ slam in the last minute of game 6 against the Spurs.

Today’s close out win 107-99 turning the series 4-2 was nothing short of a statement win for the OKC. The Spurs had not lost 3 in a row all season they were up 18 points at the half! The Spurs did everything right in opening of the game. But the youth of OKC which was perceived as a weakness by everyone, turned into an advantage by the 3^rd quarter. The Thunder came out with more energy both on the defensive and offensive end. They contained San Antonio to 36 points for the whole 2^nd half.

Westbrook, Harden and KD rained their treys. They got those looks from by finding the open man and sharing the ball. Derek Fisher whom they picked up after the Lakers got rid of him scored crucial treys to ice the game. Fish was also here in Manila last July together with other NBA superstars.

Derek Fisher and Chris Paul at the SMART Ultimate All Star Weekend last July 23, 2011. The historic event happened at the newly unveiled SMART Araneta Coliseum. Photo by Jude Bautista

Right: Tim Duncan congratulates Kendrick Perkins after the series.

Coach Scott Brooks said they learned to share the ball more from watching the Spurs. In the last 16 seconds with an 8-point lead, Kevin Durant hugged his parents on the sidelines. “It’s just a blessing to have them there to watch me since day 1. I was 8 years old started playing basketball and to be here at the biggest stage of basketball is just a blessing. I never want to take those moments for granted. I know we’re one step closer to our dreams but it felt good.  We just gotta continue to keep believing. My momma believed in us since day 1. When we were 23-59 she said one day we could improve. This is great for the city as well.” Durant played the whole 48 minutes and even told his coaches I can play 2 games in one day.

KD hugs his parents w 16 seconds left.

When Coach Scotty Brooks was asked what happened when they fell behind in the series and how he kept everyone on the same page he said, “ We were just worried about winning one game. I give our guys all the credit. They stuck together, that’s what families do. We stick together all the time. We have great fans who cheers us on.”

James Harden seals the game with free throws.

Dennis 3D Scott in his post game analysis said, “I would never guess in a million years. They won against Coach of the Year in Greg Popovich, best record of the year, two double-digit winning streaks on the road. I’d never guess that take your hat off to Scott Brooks for keeping this team together. They were down 18. We were saying looks like we’re going back to San Antonio that’s how it looked. For Brooks to keep these guys together. Russel Westbrook tripped over his own feet had a couple of turnovers. The team stays together for a young team to have that turnover problem fix it against a great team. And you beat them 4 in a row, simply amazing.”

J.J. Barea and Dirk Nowitzki share a fun moment with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, who has a tight grip on the championship trophy. Nowitzki is craddling his Bill Russell Finals MVP trophy. Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images (Click on pic to buy it)

Written by

Jude Thaddeus L. Bautista

After the Finals Game 1 win by Miami, everyone was writing off the chances of the Mavs. It was Sir Charles Barkley who correctly called it, “I see Dallas winning it in 6.” Everyone who listens to the Chuckster knows that he always makes wild predictions. But this time he hit the nail on the head when no one else dared do it. The other analyst, Greg Anthony voiced the opinion of most NBA observers in picking the Miami Heat.

Charles Barkley (center) was in Saturday Night Live 35 airing in JACK TV in the Phil. SNL 35 regular cast mates from left is Kenan Thompson and Andy Samberg.

Mark Cuban shakes the hand of Donald Carter

I’m not going into the play by play of Game 6 the way I usually do because, everyone can get it in a lot of other sites. What I’d like to get into is why I believe the championship is so special. One of the first and most important is that no one thought they could do it. During the regular season the Spurs had the best record. The Lakers was in position to give Phil Jackson a championship send off. OKC had a lot of bright young stars. No one picked the Mavs. In fact Rick Kamla quoted Coach George Karl as wanting to meet Dallas in the playoffs, believing they would be easier to eliminate. In every series they had, their opponents were always favored to win against them.

from left current Mavs owner Cuban (w cap) insisted Dallas Mavericks founder Donald Carter recieves the trophy from NBA Commissioner David Stern w mic

During the ceremony, one thing that made me admire owner Mark Cuban was his requirement to involve the original owner and founder of the Mavericks Donald Carter in it. Mark Cuban asked David Stern to hand the Larry O’Brien trophy to Carter.

Savvy veterans Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd pose with the most coveted hardware in the NBA. Nowitzki shows off his Finals MVP trophy, and Kidd holds the Larry O'Brien championship trophy. Garrett Ellwood/NBAE/Getty Images (Click on pic to buy it)

Kidd explained his experience in his rookie years with Dallas, “This is huge for the Carter family. For the down years that Dallas had to still be a part of it once Cuban bought the team. Just to see this day come, they’re on cloud nine. We’re so happy for them and what they’ve done for the franchise.Dallasbefore only won 27 games, once Cuban took over he set the bar high of winning 50 games. To finally cross the line of the marathon in first place is huge.”

J.J. Barea, who came up big with 15 points in Game 6, enjoys a close encounter with the championship trophy. Ronald Martinez/NBAE/Getty Images (Click on pic to buy it)

Cuban was always known as being outspoken sometimes overly criticizing playoff rivals or his perceived bad calls. He imposed an unlikely ban on himself since the beginning of the Lakers series to let his players and coach ‘do the talking.’ On the Heat side GM Pat Riley also showed a lot of class by personally going down to congratulate Rick Carlisle and Cuban.

Members of the Heat and Mavs get into a skirmish at halfcourt as a timeout is called. Marc Serota/Getty Images (Click on pic to buy it)

An interesting graphic that was displayed during the post game press cons and analysis was the number of Mavs players with 10 or more seasons WITHOUT winning a championship. It was clear to me that this was Jason Kidd’s 17^thseason and was the only time he won a championship which alone made it special. A total of 9 Mavs included Dirk with 13 seasons. Magic Johnson won his first cup in his rookie year, Jordan took five seasons.

List of Mavs players who logged in 10 seasons or more without winning a championship

Jason Terry smiles at the Podium

Jason Terry honored his idols from Gary Payton to Dr. J, “For me I just think about where I come from that’s the inner city ofSeattle, growin up many nights on the playground. Emulating the greats Isaiah Thomas, even my hometown hero like Slick Watts, Downtown Freddie Brown, Magic, now I’m in the same breath as those guys. They’re champions. Dr. J text me before game 6, he said hey son it’s your time. I responded to him, I want to be a champion, just like you and now I am.”

Shawn 'The Matrix' Marion hugs former team mate Dwyane Wade

Veteran Brian Cardinal, a.k.a. "The Janitor" and a key role player, gets his turn with the championship trophy. Garrett Ellwood/NBAE/Getty Images (Click on pic to buy it)

The perception was that the Mavericks were a whole team working together battling the Miami Heat’s three superstars. An indicator is bench production: scoring 43-20 in Game 6. The bench was there for the Mavs not just in game 6 but in almost every game they won. Jason Terry is just one of them. JJ Barea ofPuerto Ricowas instrumental especially in game 6 when he broke down the defense with his penetrations and timely treys. Ian Mahinmi made the last second shot to end the first quarter. Both Mahinimi and Brian Cardinal, would most probably not even play if Brendan Haywood wasn’t injured.

Brendan Haywood celebrates with a championship belt. Victor Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images (Click on pic to buy it)

Kevin Durant wall paper from basketwallpapers.com (click on pick for link)

Written by

Jude Bautista

Greg Findley, an American river guide visiting us here in Manila, asked me if I knew where the New England area was because his girlfriend was from there. I said, “The bunch of states in the northeast coast, that’s where the Pilgrims landed and first settled.” And then he asked, “How come you know so much about U.S. geography?” My response was quick and easy it was because of the NBA teams that represented the different cities. And after that it was the NCAA teams too which had colleges and Universities from different states. He laughed and shook his head in amazement at how basketball is almost like a religion for Filipinos.

Like many Filipino kids I was aware of Dr. J’s Philadelphia Sixers, Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson’s L.A. Lakers way before I even knew what geography was. And I have to admit today as a grown up, that before the Seattle Supersonics folded and became the Oklahoma City Thunder, I was unaware that there was an Oklahoma City. The state is more prominent and the Oklahoma Sooners are also on the basketball map but not the city. Last season when they pushed the L.A. Lakers (who became champs) to a seven game series in the first round people took notice of  OKC. As of writing, they are in a heated battle against the Memphis Grizzlies tied at 2-2.

Kevin Durant wall paper from basketwallpapers.com (click on pick for link)

Kevin Durant’s re-signing with OKC for a maximum 5 year, 86 million dollar contract hardly attracted headlines. Both the city and the humble demeanor of Durant were factors for this. Le Bron James and Carmelo Anthony’s blockbuster team changes on the other hand were the subject of speculation. In fact, a whole ESPN special was produced just to announce Le Bron’s decision to play for Miami.

Memphis is another one of those cities and is known for Elvis ‘ Graceland. But it’s not a media center the way New York and Washington are. Dallas is a fairly bigger city than both. The Mavs are in a fierce series against the Lakers. Absolutely no one would have predicted the Mavs going up 3-0 in the second round. The similarity between OKC, MEM and DAL is that none of them have won a championship. For these three cities the prestige of an NBA championship would be an incredible windfall in popularity, tourism and even more basketball fans.

Memphis Grizzlies Wall paper from nba.com (click on pick for link)

There’s no doubt that Oklahoma is an expansion team, Memphis and Dallas have been around longer. Expansion means covering new ground for the biggest professional basketball league (arguably in the world). The Lakers have a 16 championships. Ask almost any casual fan they know that Kobe Bryant has five rings, Magic Johnson also won 5. Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain won a couple more. The Celtics have even more at 17. Larry has 3 rings, Bill Russell has a ring for each of his ten fingers!

For this season Kobe is trying to duplicate Michael Jordan’s 2–threepeat achievement. That’s three championships in a row…twice. In marketing terms, the basketball Mecca(s) of L.A. and Boston are already saturated. L.A. actually has TWO NBA squads. If  OKC, MEM and DAL wins it all, the league will definitely expand it’s fan base in these places AND states.  I’m sure of it,  in spite of Texas having 2 other NBA teams in Houston and San Antonio.

Dirk Nowitzki wallpaper from flashscreen.com (click on pick for link)

Maybe 2011 is the season where we are witnessing a transition of power from those two storied and legendary teams to the ‘younger’ squads. We cannot and should not forget the Eastern conference. The Chicago Bulls is hoping for another Jordan era with their latest MVP: Derrick Rose. Miami is up 2-0 against Boston. Both Miami and Chicago have a higher chance of winning it all than the three zero championship squads. And even though the Lakers and the Celtics are behind we can’t count them out yet. For me, it just makes this season all the more exciting and memorable if a Cinderella team wins the crown. That would make them truly a ‘new’ champion.

KG the good guy of the NBA, humble, hardworking superstar

Written by

Jude Thaddeus L. Bautista

Before anything else, I’d like to start by writing that I have nothing against the Lakers. As I said very recently to a Laker fan, your team has everything; the best coach in Phil Jackson, arguably the most unstoppable and Finals savvy player in Kobe Bryant, the biggest and talented frontline in Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Their point guard Derek Fisher also has far more championship rings than any other point guard and their 6^th man, Lamar Odom is a versatile seven foot tall SMALL forward. If all these guys weren’t enough early this season they acquired Ron Artest who has been an all star several times in his career. Nearly every player in the roster has had finals experience from Sasha Vujacic to Luke Walton. Kobe is gunning for his fifth NBA title. Everyone knows, the Lakers have the shrewdest front office. They  even have movie stars like Tom Cruise, Bruce Willis, Jack Nicholson and so many more celebrities as fans.

At the beginning of the 2010 season clearly the L.A. Lakers were already projected to win it all. After the playoffs, Phil Jackson exceeded Red Auerbach’s 109 playoff victories with 112. And they have lived up to the expectations of their fans and basketball experts around the world. Contrast that to the regular season of the Celtics. After being eliminated from last year’s playoffs, they were ranked fourth by observers. And before the playoffs started, the ranking was accurate; the Cleveland Cavaliers had the best season record followed by Orlando and Atlanta.

The Celts were in a little bit of disarray with trade rumors concerning Ray Allen. While they were able to acquire Nate Robinson and Marquis Daniels, how they fit in the team wasn’t really a sure thing. The age of the Big Three: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were beginning to show. Charles Barkley predicted a win by Le Bron James’ Cavs over the Celts in the series. He was only echoing what other experts already thought based on the regular season AND the line ups. In spite of all that however, the Celtics were able to pull out gutsy wins, not just against Cleveland but also the Orlando Magic. So here they are now in the Finals with the Lakers. And after yesterday’s game they tied the series at 2-2.

Traditionally, the playoffs are always more exciting than the finals because one team is always obviously superior to the other. (Just like last year’s L.A., Orlando match up) But now it’s a real series and as a fan I’m almost satisfied that the Celts ALREADY won two games against the Lakers. There’s a certain amount of satisfaction because they weren’t supposed to be in the Finals in the first place.

But the more the drama unfolds the more I want Kevin Garnett and the Celts to win it all.  KG has always been perceived as a gentleman and a ‘good guy’ around the league. He stuck it out with Minnesota for years in spite of them being a weak team. Jeff Van Gundy  who was annotating game 4  made a great observation. When KG, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce were tapped to go to the scorer’s table to get into the game in the 4^th quarter, they had to be asked back to the bench by coach Doc Rivers. Rasheed Wallace sank a 3ptr and Rivers wanted to keep Rasheed in the game. Big Baby Davis and Nate Robinson were playing so well, it happened 3 times, going to the scorer’s table and being pulled back to the bench because the back up players were doing so well. Van Gundy said, “If it was any other superstar, they’d be pissed. But KG’s happy cheering his team mates on.”

I couldn’t forget the sight of KG and the Celtics going into Manny Pacquiao’s locker room in the David Diaz fight in 2008 after they won their first NBA Championship. They called Manny their champ. The window of opportunity for KG, Pierce and Allen to win another championship may not come again, especially because of their age. The Celtics represent the underdog and a selfless team. That’s why I want them to win the 2010 NBA championship