“England, India, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat show it – There is no ‘I’ in team!”

Jun 23, 2013 Sports

Colin E. H. Croft
Sometimes, even in sports, but not always so, cream actually does eventually come to the top!
Today, India and England, best teams in the competition, meet at Edgbaston, Birmingham, in the final Champions Trophy final. Both sets of players have shown what the word “team” really means!
So it was too, when Miami Heat played San Antonio Spurs for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, named after a former US Post Master General who became Commissioner of National Basketball Association (NBA). Miami Heat was magnificent, its marquee players showing what it means to be real stars!

MS Dhoni during a press conference. (AFP)

Last Thursday, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, even the under-achieving, played-out-of-position Chris Bosh, Heat’s “Big Three”, came to final night’s party, battered and bruised, leaving everything on the court!
One had to feel for Spurs’ Tim Duncan – nearly a Caribbean man, born in St. Croix – Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. They too, especially Parker and Duncan, were walking wounded.
Yet, like Muhammad Ali v Joe Frazier Trilogy, these two teams seemed exactly made for each other over seven games. Neither gave an inch and neither asked any, coming down to Thursday’s final game!
Miami’s big boys dug real deep, running purely on turbo adrenaline, though ultra-fitness, despite so many injuries, was obvious. Fees and money did not matter at all then. Winning that 2nd consecutive championship did!
Having resided regularly in Central and South Florida since 1981, I am a pseudo “Florida refugee”. Hence, when Florida-based professional sports teams play, I try to catch games, even sometimes support them. Therefore, Miami Heat’s NBA Finals eventual 7th game win over San Antonio Spurs was one that I could not miss for anything. It was barely affordable, but I had to witness fully. It was quite a wild night too!
Not since Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Chicago Bulls battled, almost yearly, with Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Boston Celtics, late 1980’s early 1990’s, have I been this absorbed and attracted to basketball.
Heat v Spurs may have been the better of the two. If only they can play again in next season’s finals!
The city of Miami was a maelstrom. 20,000 inside American Airlines Arena, just off the water of Biscayne Bay, had great privileges, including observing great athletes at work, taking responsibilities. But it was outside, where another throng milled around the area, and partied, that the real fun was. Winning and partying are contagious. Friday last had to be a holiday for some of attending patrons!
Michael Rosenberg’s editorial piece in Sports Illustrated was fully on the mark. It was indeed time to marvel at the efforts of LeBron James as Heat now contemplates a three-peat; perhaps a Bull-like dynasty.
For me, the player of the finals, despite James being, rightfully, elected “MVP of Finals”, the one to really marvel at was Dwyane Wade, who, just a few years ago, was the franchise face of Miami Heat.

Alastair Cook fields questions from the media (ICC)

In his first visit to NBA Finals, in 2005-6, “Flash” was Finals MVP, and despite suffering horrendous injuries to shoulders, knees and ankles the following few seasons, still managed to put up astounding numbers.
The season that LeBron James joined Miami Heat, 2010, Wade was close to leaving Miami. Impressively, he stayed, even as he was told by Coach-President Pat Riley that James would be the franchise player.
How many cricketers anywhere, having accomplished as much as D-Wade has, would have deferred, harnessing ego, to make way for a stronger, bigger man, accepting him as leading man and team-mate? All Wade wanted to do was win, again. He made so many sacrifices to do just that!
1983 and 2011 ICC World Cup winning India, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and team have those same thoughts today, but it is not unique to them. They certainly will want to win this last Champions Trophy.
England too has played good cricket to get to this final, under almost unflappable Alastair Cook, setting up the possibility of the hosts winning its 1st 50-overs world trophy, after winning 2010’s ICC WT-20. It can be India’s batsmen against England’s bowlers, even as these respective teams both have good bowling attacks and batting line-ups. If there is no rain at the final, expect total runs to be near 600!
India has been unbeaten so far in the competition, thanks to its batsman, making the largest total in the competition, 331-7, against South Africa.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan made two centuries, 114 v SA, and 102 no v West Indies. Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik and Virat Kohli also scored another five half centuries between them. Bowling-wise, India has mixed fast with slow well, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja sharing the wickets and work-load well.
England’s batting has been steady, if not spectacular. Ian Bell, Cook, Jonathan Trott and Joe Root have scored seven fifties between them, abetted by Ravi Bopara, Eoin Morgan and Stuart Broad. Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Tim Bresnan, James Treadwell, Bopara and Root also form a good bowling attack.
Like Heat v Spurs, England v India can provide great excitement, if players keep their heads. Enjoy!

Pic –
– Alastair Cook fields questions from the media. (ICC)