LeBron makes believer out of me

By Jeff

The NBA bores the hell out of me 90 percent of the time. It's not that I don't respect the athletes and the awesome things they do on the court. The sport is just boring most of the time. Probably because there has never had a college or professional team I follow.

But last night's Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs had me staying up late and on the edge of my seat. Specifically, it was LeBron James who had me in awe as he took over the game in the fourth quarter.

For the first three quarters, it looked as if James was going to be destroyed the next day by all the major media outlets. He was shooting 25 percent from the field and only had 14 points. As a result, it looked like Tim Duncan would be celebrating a fifth title.

Then something big happened. James lost his headband early in the fourth quarter. From that point forward, James dominated the game. He scored 18 points in the 4th quarter and overtime, including a 3-pointer with under a minute that cut the Spurs' lead to 2.

I for one, lost track of James at first when the headband came off. He took a missed shot and slammed it home for two and I thought it was Dwyane Wade! I couldn't find James on the court! Maybe the Spurs lost track of him too.

James did not have a monopoly on the drama, though. Future hall of famer Ray Allen played the hero role as well. With less than 10 seconds to go he nailed a game-tying 3-pointer. Considering he is the NBA's all-time 3-point leader and a guy who has made big shots throughout his career, it was a bit surprising that the set play late in the game was no designed for him. But like great players do, he stayed in the play and got open for the shot. It was the most captivating basketball game I have ever seen and Allen's shot was the climax.

While the heroics of James and Allen cannot be overstated, you have to wonder what happened to Tim Duncan in the fourth quarter. He scored 30 points through three quarters and looked unstoppable. Then he couldn't make a shot the rest of the game. There were several times he got the ball down low and missed field goal attempts I've never seen Duncan miss.

Nor can we ignore the poor play of Wade in his limited time in the fourth quarter. After James single-handedly brought his team back from a 13-point deficit, Wade came in with a little less than 4 minutes left in the fourth. He went on to take several terrible shots that killed the Heat's momentum. He made one and a few free throws, but overall, he was not helping his team on the offensive side.

Fortunately for the Heat, James and Allen refused to accept defeat, and those watching at home or in Miami were the winners.