This isn’t the last we’ve heard of Heat and Lakers

A remarkable journey for the 2019-2020 NBA season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning championship 17 in what’s been a tremendous run for basketball’s marquee franchise. 

LeBron James, crowned Finals MVP a fourth time, has reopened the discussion for the debate of “Greatest of all Time” against Michael Jordan, who’s now only two championship rings ahead.

Aided by Anthony Davis, LeBron and the Lakers crushed underdog Miami in Game 6. Following an improbable triumph in Game 5, the Jimmy Butler-led Heat ran out of gas against LA’s juggernaut transition attack, and thus eliminating the East’s big surprise.

Erik Spoelstra, the Filipino-American Miami coach who’s been an inspiration for local coaches and players, was emotional post-game, wiping away tears.

“This locker room, regardless of whatever happens in the future, we’re going to remember this year, this season, this experience, and that locker room brotherhood for the rest of our lives,” he uttered. 

The ride of Spo’s team to the finals was out of the ordinary.

After Miami was eliminated from playoff contention last year, their future did not look good. They had no cash to spend on top-tier NBA free agents and most of their payroll went to Hassan Whiteside, James Johnson, and Dion Waiters, who is now, remarkably, an NBA champion.

What they had was a former All-Star in Goran Dragic and a young prospect named Bam Adebayo, who was ready to overtake Whiteside’s spot. The Heat then added to the talent pool by drafting the eccentric Tyler Herro, despite not being well-received at first.

The Heat’s fortune changed when Butler told them, “I’m in.” His controversial journey from Chicago to Minnesota to Philadelphia was well-documented. By signing with Miami, he chose a place he felt his dedication to winning would suit well. With the rise of #HeatCulture, that eventually proved true.

The Lakers had a tumultuous first season in the fourth installment for the Story of LeBron. James injured his groin mid-season and a young LA roster spiraled down the standings, thus missing the playoffs. That was the first time it had in LeBron’s career since 2005.

LA then made a massive offer for the uber-talented Davis, trading away their young talents and a considerable amount of draft picks. 

It was a deal mocked at first, including the criticism that James, age 35, had hit his physical peak. The counter was simple: Davis was a generational talent, and with the extra time James had off to recover, he’d be fresh.

They were perceived as Shaq and Kobe 2.0.

“I think personally thinking I have something to prove fuels me,” James said with trophy in hand and clothes soaked in champagne.

“It fueled me over this last year and a half since the injury. It fueled me because no matter what I’ve done in my career to this point, there’s still little rumblings of doubt or comparing me to the history of the game and has he done this, has he done that.”

The Lakers had a great start and so did the Heat, who stood out against higher-ranked teams in the East. The only concern for LA, which had the West’s best record, was how to defeat the Clippers, whose headline signings Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were regarded in the same class as the Lakers’ mighty one-two punch.

Before the sudden lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Lakers and Heat were trending in different directions. 

LA remained on top of the West and secured back-to-back captivating wins:

First, against the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks, wherein LeBron’s superior performance against MVP favorite Giannis Antetokounmpo transformed a concluded MVP discussion to a serious debate. And then against the Clippers, who the Lakers finally defeated after 3 tries. 

It wasn’t just that Los Angeles won those games. It was the way they dominated their competition: with brute physicality. The franchise was clouded by a heavy heart following the tragic death of Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, but incredibly, these Lakers, steered by a rejuvenated LeBron, were suddenly on the path to ascendancy.

“For Kobe.”

The Heat, meanwhile, dropped in the standings after battling injuries to Butler, Dragic, Herro, and Meyers Leonard, who started at center before the lockdown. Miami also had to adjust to their mid-season trade acquisitions, Jae Crowder and three-time champ Andre Iguodala. In some regard, the break helped Miami, which would make a lineup change.

Once the playoffs got underway, it didn’t take long for both teams to carve a path to the finals. 

The Lakers made quick work of a Damian Lillard-sparked Portland Trail Blazers who were thought to give them a challenge. That quickly proved wrong.

The same scenario took place next round against a small ball-centric Houston Rockets squad led by former MVPs James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Los Angeles dropped Game 1 in both series, only to finish their opponents 4 matches later. 

Miami, after falling to 5, easily defeated the Indiana Pacers. Butler and his Heat then had their coming out party after quickly upsetting the MVP and his Bucks in the second round. Labeled a “dark horse” all year long, they became one of the rare teams to actually live up to the moniker. 

Aside from Butler, Adebayo, Dragic, and Herro were also catching the public’s eye. So did Spoelstra, who LeBron would later admit does not receive the public praise he deserves. 

Miami entered the Eastern Finals as underdogs to the Boston Celtics, but quickly went up 2-0 before dispatching them in 6, propelled by, arguably, the next Kevin Garnett in Adebayo.

Out West (in the bubble), LeBron was an image of the saying that “age is but a number.” In addition to turning back the hands of time, James played wiser than ever, like a chess master maneuvering the board.

Somehow, the Clippers choked a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets, failing to play their role in bringing Battle: Los Angeles to life.

Would the other LA team have matched up better against the eventual champions? Perhaps, but these are the facts: while the Lakers concentrated on the process of becoming a champion, the Clippers tried to skip steps. 

Chicken wings, anyone?

The Nuggets were another fantastic story, having rallied back from consecutive 1-3 deficits. In the conference finals, the clock would strike midnight on their Cinderella run.

And in the finals, something similar would happen with the Heat, but with the caveat of, “what could have been?” There was no question that LA, with LeBron and Davis and a stellar supporting cast, was a heavy favorite. 

The Heat’s chances took a painful hit with injuries to Adebayo and Dragic, who would return far from their usual form in the latter part of the finals.

“How about Goran even just going out there and playing [in Game 6]? That’s just crazy,” said Spoelstra. 

“There’s no way he should have been out there. He texted me – the night he got hurt in Game 1 he texted, I got a text literally around 4:15 in the morning, he said, ‘Coach, don’t give up on me on this series. Give me a chance. I’ll find my way back.’”

Dragic did, but it was too little, too late. LA was too good, too motivated, and too far up in the driver’s seat to surrender a 3-1 lead, despite the brilliance of Butler, who cemented his status as a superstar with two impressive triple-doubles, including winning an old-school shootout with James. 

Butler’s reputation has changed. He’ll now possibly be regarded as the type of player you can build around to win a championship with. The depleted Heat pushing the Lakers to 6 games is a compelling case. 

But it also speaks to the brilliance of LeBron that what’s defined as a career-altering series for Butler is normal for James, who is now averaging a stupendous 28.4 points, 10 rebounds, and nearly 8 assists in 55 Finals games, per StatMuse.

So now the question is, what lies ahead for both teams? 

The Lakers are in good position to repeat. Davis is a free agent but it’s a guarantee he’ll re-sign with LA, given his genuine friendship with LeBron, and their clear superiority as a tandem on a basketball court. Either of them can be the best player in the world on any given day. The supporting cast doesn’t need a lot of adjustments, either. 

The return of the Warriors will be their biggest challenge to repeating in the West. The Clippers, who are looking for a new head coach, will be tough, although the impending free agency of Leonard and George could be a wild card. Denver is a piece or two away from getting on the Lakers’ level. 

Dragic and Crowder are free agents for the Heat, who have Adebayo, Herro, and sniper Duncan Robinson on cheap deals next season.

Looking like they’re a piece away from the title, could Miami make a play for Victor Oladipo? Or will they give this roster another chance, then swing for the fences in a loaded 2021 free agency class that includes Giannis? 

Butler is going to be around until the end of his career. Miami will want to re-sign Dragic and Crowder, but making a win-now move could give them a better shot to defend the eastern crown against the motivated Celtics, a Doc Rivers-coached 76ers, the Bucks, and, of course, the returning Nets, who will have Kyrie Irving and 2-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant.

Either way, the future looks bright for both franchises – especially with top-class management and coaches.

The NBA Draft is  a month away, which means trades and free agency aren’t far ahead, too. This is the part of the calendar where the power structure of the NBA alters. So a lot can change.

But from where the league is now standing – following a tremendous job of putting the bubble together and saving the season – the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat are in prime position to stay on top of the pyramid. 

“I told [Miami] that I would win them one and I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain, so that means I got to do it next year,” said Butler, galvanized to bounce back.

“I’ve got a lot of years left,” said a celebrating LeBron. It was both a promise and a warning, as he returns to his throne. 

Perhaps what we saw is only the beginning. 

Maybe this new rivalry is only getting started. – Rappler.com

Naveen Ganglani is a podcast host and writer for Rappler. He is the author of ‘Nowhere To Go But UP: How A Basketball Team Inspired A Nation’. He loves sports, video games, film, television, and pizza. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram. You can reach him at navsganglani@gmail.com.