Did Everything Conspire For the Miami Heat To Win The NBA 2012 Championship Ring?

Before the National Basketball Association’s shortened 2012 Season started, knowledgeable fans already can tell that teams with younger players and those which have been playing together longer would have the advantage.

Of course there could have been a few surprises. But then again the NBA Commissioner took care of one of those hitches with the outright rejection of the Chris Paul trade to the LA Lakers. And the injuries we cannot predict those, but we can already predict that certain players will be banged up and probably be injured. And yes, many of them were and more and at the worse possible times.

Tim Donaghy

Now aside from the stories previously peddled by disgraced ex-NBA ref Tim Donaghy, the more savvy fans already have an inkling that the NBA really favors certain teams and for whatever reason, we can only speculate. But if you really think hard about it, the most logical reasons would be ratings and the bottom-line, money.

Long-time fans also know that there is such a thing as home-cooking, when refs are more prone to give certain home-teams the benefit of the calls. And we can debate this on and on, and we could still end up agreeing to disagree.

One question though is Joey Crawford still officiating conference and NBA finals games? And a second question, why?

NBA Favorite Teams

Okay one thing is certain, the NBA do favor certain teams or certain players in those teams.

Did I say, the love-him-or-hate-him NBA beast LeBron James, the Flash Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat?

And did I mention the affable Kevin Durant, the colorful (or flashier) Russell Westbrook and the OKC Thunder?

Now, the question is in the battle between two NBA favored teams and two dynamic duos (both wearing those funny glasses), who would win?

The winner will be the more favored one, of course!

King James vs Duke Durant

So whether you believe that the NBA or the NBA referees are “fixing” the games to favor certain teams or not is not the issue here. Ratings is still king, and in the ratings game, it appears that King LeBron has more royalty than Duke Durant.

Let’s back track, what do you think will be the ratings of the NBA finals if the efficient but normally boring San Antonio Spurs (which was surprisingly great this year) won over exciting run-and-gun Durant, Westbrook, Harden and the OKC?

Or what do you think will the same ratings be if the aging on-and-off Boston Celtics was to chase the young studs of Oklahoma every single night in what could be a short finals if even one of the top Celtics players will be unfortunately injured?

Knicks or Pacers in the Finals? Really?

If you want to back track some more, we can go back to round one of the Eastern Conference Finals. How about the Heat versus the New York Knicks? And yes, Linsanity got inured? In the second round, Heat versus the Indiana Pacers, really who would be that crazy to either let the Pacers or the Knicks into the Conference Finals and chance that they win it?

In the West, the OKC Thunder basically railroaded the top Western Conference Teams and you can argue that like the Heat it was because of superior firepower, speed and athleticism.

But then again, yes also because of the favor of the NBA and a few critical calls that went their way.

NBA 2012 Finals

Now we are in the NBA 2012 Finals but unfortunately we have the top two favored teams from both conferences in the finals. Shall it be a coin-toss? Shall we just call the games fair and see who wins? Or shall we just go all the way and let our more favored team win?

Really, LeBron James has waited more years than the younger Durant and company. So what do you say, we give a few ticky-tac fouls against OKC and maybe put Kevin in foul trouble, just so we know that they really cannot come back from the grave like they were used to in their amazing playoff run.

Let’s call it differently this time, no more ticky-tac fouls in their favor and let them be thrown out of rhythm, out of synch and out of their wits and their habits because of this. And I am not saying that LeBron and company doesn’t deserve it. But come on, they do not need any more help. Really? Do they need all the continuation plays, all the and-1s, all the blocking fouls when they drive and all the offensive fouls when they take the charge, including all the flagrant and technical fouls?

They can win the crown on their own. Okay, it was great that Bosh came back from his injury at the right time and all. But they have passed the Celtic test and they are already leading three games to one in the finals! No NBA Finals team has ever come back from that deficit and still manage to win the championship.

Or is this going to be the first?

Your guess is as good as mine.

The Miami Heat came out with blazing guns inside and out and blown the Thunder out of South Beach to take the 2012 NBA Championship. And for good reason, the Heat didn't want to go back to OKC to win it all at the most hostile arena on planet earth.

At any rate, the Heat didn't need the help of the referees this time, although some of the calls were a little bit suspect. The refs should have just let the players play this one out and it would have been a real classic fight instead of giving those few close calls Miami's way leading up to that ridiculous lead.

Anyway I agree with OKC's coach Scott Brooks, the Heat beat them fair and square (yes read between the lines). Although he couldn't complain because his team had some of the calls as well all throughout the regular season and their amazing playoff run. This is also their first time reaching the conference and the NBA finals and I'm sure they will be better for it. For the Heat, one down and I'm sure they're going for their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and nth rings.

To coach Erik Spoelstra, the most under-rated coach in the NBA--congratulations for going all the way in a season that could have been another wreck like the last few years.

Job well done, coach.