“Kudos to LeBron, he was great in game 7 against a team that was done” - Skip Bayless surprisingly picks the 2013 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs as his all-time favourite finals
LeBron James took his talents to South Beach and joined the Miami Heat back in 2010. The NBA superstar decided to team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to form one of the greatest trios in NBA history.
James stayed in Miami for four years, making the NBA Finals every year and winning two championships. However, the 2013 NBA championship was extremely difficult, as the San Antonio Spurs were less than a minute away from winning it.
In the end, James' team beat the Spurs in seven games, in what was one of the most exciting series of all time.
Skip Bayless picks the 2013 NBA Finals as the greatest series
Skip Bayless, who is well known for his criticism of LeBron James, picked the 2013 NBA Finals as his favorite finals of all time. When asked about the greatest finals series, this is what Bayless had to say:
"I am going with 2013. LeBron's Heat versus my San Antonio Spurs. A finals that ultimately ripped my heart out. But it was just so epic."
Bayless recalled the final minute of Game 6, which was incredibly exciting. It ended with Ray Allen's clutch 3-pointer, which left Spurs fans in disbelief.
"Ray Allen made the greatest clutch shot I have ever witnessed. As painful as it is to admit, that made that the greatest finals ever."
The NBA analyst praised LeBron James' performance in Game 7. He led the Heat to their second straight championship. However, he also criticized James' 17-point performance in Game 2 and his two turnovers in the late Game 7.
"Kudos to LeBron, he was great in Game 7 against the team that was done."
LeBron James had to work hard during the 2013 NBA Finals
LeBron James led the Miami Heat in almost every statistical category during the 2013 NBA Finals. The Heat forward averaged 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game in the series.
James had a triple-double with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in Game 6, which Miami nearly lost.
With 28.2 seconds left on the block, the Heat were down by five points, but LeBron made a 3-pointer to cut the lead to two. Kawhi Leonard made a free throw, and the Heat tied the game with Ray Allen's incredible 3-pointer with only five seconds left.
The Heat won the game in overtime and won the series in Game 7. LeBron James was also incredible in the final game as he scored 37 points.
Tim Duncan's legacy
Tim Duncan joined the NBA in 1998 and immediately turned the San Antonio Spurs into one of the best teams in the league. Duncan ended his career being 5-1 in the NBA Finals, with the only loss being the one from 2013.
Skip Bayless talked about this loss and how it affected Duncan's legacy. If the Spurs had won the 2013 NBA Finals, he would have been 6-0, matching Michael Jordan.
"If the Spurs had won that finals, as they should have... you realize that Tim Duncan would've gone 6-0 in the finals and matched that guy [Michael] Jordan."
Duncan and his Spurs got their revenge by beating the Miami Heat in 2014. They won the series in just five games as "The Big Fundamental" earned his fifth NBA championship ring.