"Dwayne Wade is the best player ever." - Shaq

Let me be the first to say it...game 6 was not pretty. Superman and the Flash, and every other comic book hero, are dominating the big screens, but this was no Hollywood ending for Shaq and D-Wade (I'm still auditioning for an ESPN job).
The game ended and I was happy that Dwyane Wade won himself a championship, but I was kind of upset that this is the way it went down. Yeah, I wanted Miami to win. Yeah, I picked the Heat in six games. But this wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Choking away a fourth quarter lead by relying on the three-point shot (and Miami is NOT a three-point shooting team)...Two missed free throws by the Flash Himself...Single-digit points by the Big Aristotle/Superman/Diesel...A final play where Payton got away with a blatant jersey-grabbing foul...There could not have been a more ugly win by the Miami Heat.
But now, I'm comfortable with the ugliest championship in recent memory. Hell, I'm ecstatic about it. This is not Major League, Rookie of the Year, The Little Giants, Remember the Titans, or any of those other sports movies that end with a dramatic conclusion to a brilliant season. This was a team of desperate veterans and one oh-so-very-important young player that were determined to do whatever it took to win a title.
The officiating was horrible. I can admit that. But it was horrible both ways. The refs were making bad calls and missing obvious fouls throughout the series on both sides. Miami took advantage of it. In game 5 Wade drove to the hoop and at the slightest knee-to-knee bump hit the hardwood. Should that foul have been called? In the first 47 minutes of the game, yes. In the last 60 seconds, no. But Wade knew what it took to get a foul called, and throughout the playoffs he has earned himself the benefit of the doubt. In game 6, Payton took advantage of a bad angle by the refs and gave Jason Terry's jersey a quick tug to throw him off. It may have affected his shot, it may not have, but Payton got away with it because no refs saw it.
Everyone made mistakes. Obviously, Wade played a damn good series, but even he had a horrible shoting night in game 5 and missed those two critical free throws tonight. But search through your mental highlight reel of Michael Jordan (We all have one) and see if any missed shots come up. Jordan's career percentage was right around 50% so for every shot he made, he missed one. But no one remembers the misses. Five years from now, no one will remember the missed free throws. They'll remember Wade's 35 points a game. (And yes, I am comparing Wade to Jordan. But it's only temporary. By the end of his career, Wade will be out of Jordan's league).
Shaq, 'Toine, 'Zo, "White Chocolate," Payton, Haslem, and every other player on the Heat played a very inconsistent series. Not exactly what you expect from a trophy-hoisting team. But each one of them had their moments, and when a play needed to be made (and Wade was quadruple-teamed), a play was made...by somebody.

So let this year's Heat teach us a lesson: not all championship runs are capped by a last-second shot or a glorious game. More often than not it takes desire, pure talent, and a whole lot of luck.


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P.S.
Congratulations to the Miami Heat not just for winning the championship, but for being the most obviously drunk champions in recent memory. Specifically Pat Riley (who was stumbling, mumbling, and ranting himself through the post-game interview) and Alonzo Mourning (who carried a bottle of champagne to the microphones, and who's first drink since the operation sent him into a 10-minute, uninterrupted, unprovoked, heartfelt speech). If you prove yourselves to be the best basketball team in the world, I think you have the right to get a little tipsy.