The Draw Play

Congratulations to the New York Knicks! A long time coming, and the jubilation I see from New York is absolutely incredible. There is something special about seeing a long-suffering fanbase actually experience the cathartic release of a championship. It is infectious. It might be the greatest feeling in sports. Even as a neutral fan you kind of get swept up in the joy. The only other times I’ve felt this kind of happiness from a team not my own winning were the Cavs, the Cubs, and now the Knicks. Even watching Philadelphia celebrate after 2017 was fun. Every fan deserves to experience this high at least once. That long wait means something. Most older Patriots fans I know still count the first one against the Rams as the best one because it was that special, and many would rank the Malcom Butler pick as #2 or #3, since that one also came after a decade intermission and two brutal SB losses. The rest of them were just…other Super Bowls, outside 28-3, which has special qualities of its own.

A San Antonio win would not have been nearly as special. While it’s been a bit since the last one, and this is an entirely new squad, it still simply wouldn’t hit the same. Spurs fans ate good for a long time; they don’t need dessert so soon. Let dinner digest a bit more. If we are stuck with Wemby as the face of the league like Lebron or Jordan, they will get their next meal. Make them wait for it a bit longer.

Speaking of 28-3, I think this finals needs to be in conversation for one of the worst choke jobs and reputation hits in championship history. The Spurs entered the finals as heroes after defeating the reigning champion, OKC. A team that basically everyone hates. Some of that hate is just the usual Champion Bitterness reserved for any team that achieves the mountaintop, but a lot of it is due to their unwatchable style of foul-baiting ball, and some of it is still hatred over the Seattle move. The Spurs eliminated this groan-inducer of a squad and everyone cheered.

By the end of these 5 games, everyone hates the Spurs and the Wemby slander is off the charts. I don’t really feel too judgey about not shaking hands after a brutal championship loss, I cannot imagine the emotional toll on the losers in that place. But that handshake is part of sport. You give your opponent their due through gritted teeth and resignation, and then you go cry in the locker room like you are supposed to. Wemby chucked up the final brick and walked off the court before the buzzer. I don’t care if he’s only 22. He’s been balling since childhood. He knows the drill. It was classless and he needs to fix that moving forward. I care significantly less about his postgame snaps at reporters. I frankly don’t believe the losers should be required to talk to reporters so soon after championship losses. Anyone who wants to talk still can.

This was the Spurs finals to lose. Even with how dominant the Knicks were all April/May, the Spurs controlled this series for 3 quarters every game. They choked away a double-digit lead in every game and only barely managed to hold onto a single lead. The Knicks, in one series, earned themselves 3 of the top 6 biggest comebacks in finals history, with the game 4 29-point comeback being the best ever. This was a colossal titan of a chokejob by the inexperienced Spurs. This is the kind of loss that haunts an athlete forever. Tom Brady is still haunted by SB42. Matt Ryan will be forever haunted by 28-3. I’m sure Steph Curry would trade one or two of his other championships for that one.

Where would you rank it? Does it deserve to be in the top 10? The top 5? The top 3? Have a ball, New York, you earned it.