For Boston to do what they did was amazing. No Bradley, no Green, Holllins even playing minutes etc. They took the Heat 7 games and Lebron played major minutes, they did everything neccessary to make the Heats gas tank run on empty for the finals. It is funny how much my respect switched to a team that i use to despise. I will tell you Rondo has become one of my favorite players in the NBA. Garnett, Pierce, Allen, and Rondo earned my respect. Not too mention Bass. Boston made a great last run. My girlfriend is from New England and her family are big Boston fans. She is from CT but her dad use to be a professor at Harvard where she lived for a long time. I cannot stand Red Sox fans, going to Fenway is almost unbearable (have had some real,y bad experiences there with her family from out of control red sox fans when the tribe has played there) but I think after Lebron made the change to Miami, Boston fans became more tolerable. Even some of the biggest die hard Knicks fans I know were going all out rooting for the the original big 3's last stand.
I will never forget seeing Garnett at Supreme skateboard shop signing all the autographs.
Allen is a class act and you have to respect KG, Pierce and even Rondo, they seem to shy away from the limelight. Sucks that Rondo is going to have to go through a rebuild. Totally a different maturity level from their stars, they are old school compared to the way D Whistle, Lebron, Amare, Melo etc compose themselves.
OKC winning the nba title this year will do wonders for the nba. If OKC can win it all, it really will change the landscape of the nba. I think younger players in the nba and this upcoming draft class gets it. If a small market team like OKC can win it all, it might have a big impact of free agents players preferences. I love how Cleveland is now a preferred team to go too for the upcoming draft class...
I think us Cavs fans can find some hope from the Thunder. It took them 4 years to get to the finals. 2012 - 13 will be only year two and we've already found our leader.