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Promise: Fulfilled

Authored by Andrew Friedman - June 21, 2006 - 2:12 am

Current Featured Columns

Final Thoughts On The 2008 NBA Draft

This year's draft was decidedly more calm and casual than the Oden/Durant showdown, which made for a more candid and personal experience.

Jason M. Williams. June 30, 2008.

Grading The Deal: Knicks Sign Duhon

The Knicks overpaid for a below average starting point guard, but the move should still pay dividends.

Christopher Reina. July 5, 2008.

	Oh Danny Boy Danny Granger, who has just three years of NBA experience under his belt, will undoubtedly be the man in Indiana beginning this summer. Andrew Perna. July 3, 2008.
	$10 Million For Five Players? The Orlando Magic will be limited by the NBA's Luxury Tax in terms of filling the remaining spots on their roster. It is also possible it could cost them Keyon Dooling or Maurice Evans. Howard Mass. July 1, 2008.
	Raptorland’s New Carnivore The Raptors are bringing in a player who will have an immediate impact (unlike Hibbert or whomever the Raptors would’ve drafted at 17), plays a position of need (unlike Ford,) and carries a reputation of intimidation (unlike Nesterovic). Matthew Gordon. June 30, 2008.
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From Jordan to Houston to Wallace, there have been too many Heat-killers. From Stein to Bucher to Anthony, there have been too many critics. From kidneys to knees to ribs, there have been too many setbacks. For 18 years, there has been too much adversity and too much disappointment in Miami.

But for once, everything went right. A promise by Shaquille O’Neal was fulfilled. A superstar, Dwyane Wade, transcended into superhuman status. And a questioned basketball god, Pat Riley, defied his greatest critics and detractors.

After a summer and a season of underachieving and drastic changes, no one understood Riley’s vision. Except for Riley himself. And his 15-strong lineup as well as coaches and personnel. It took the rest of the world until the final buzzer sounded of game six of the 2006 NBA Finals to realize. The Miami Heat is officially the greatest team in the NBA, and it happened just as Pat Riley envisioned.

Walker and Williams went out shooting. Payton went out talking.
Mourning went out blocking. Posey, Haslem and Anderson went out hustling. Wade and O’Neal went out a dominant duo. The Heat went out on top..

The Miami Heat are the 2006 NBA Champions and more than just a promise by O’Neal was fulfilled. A team of players and coaches with unfulfilled legacies now have their mark permanently engraved in basketball greatness. And a group of fans who have waited as many as 18 years for a Heat title can now sit easy. At least for the summer.