Who Won the 2014 NBA Finals?

The 2014 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2013–14 season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs defeated the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in five games (4–1) for the Spurs’ fifth NBA championship in franchise history.

The Teams

The 2014 NBA Finals were contested by the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat. The Spurs defeated the Heat in five games to win their fifth NBA championship, becoming the first team to win five titles since the Boston Celtics won their sixth championship in 2008. The Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard was named the Finals MVP.

The San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association as a member of the league’s Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home games at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.

The 2014 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2013–14 season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the conclusion of the season’s playoffs. The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs defeated the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in five games (4–1) for the Spurs’ fifth NBA championship in franchise history. The Spurs outscored the Heat in the series by an average margin of 15.2 points per game. It was also San Antonio’s first championship since 1999, when they defeated the New York Knicks to win their fourth title overall.

The Miami Heat

In 2014, the Miami Heat won the NBA Finals. They were led by shooting guard Dwyane Wade and small forward LeBron James. The two All-Stars were supported by a strong cast of role players, including power forward Chris Bosh, point guard Norris Cole, and center Chris Andersen.

The Heat finished the regular season with a record of 54-28, good for second place in the Eastern Conference. They then went on to defeat the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the playoffs, before losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

In the off-season, the Heat made a number of changes to their roster. They acquired point guard Mario Chalmers from the Memphis Grizzlies, and signed free agent shooting guard Ray Allen. These moves paid off, as the Heat went on to win their third NBA championship in franchise history.

The Players

The 2014 NBA Finals were a best-of-seven championship series between the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat. The Spurs defeated the Heat in five games to win their fifth NBA championship. The series was played from June 5–15, 2014.

Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and one-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.

LeBron James

LeBron James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has won two NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, two NBA Finals MVP Awards, two Olympic gold medals, an NBA scoring title, and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He has also been selected to ten All-NBA teams and six All-Defensive teams. Wikipedia

The Coaches

The 2014 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2013–14 season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat. The Spurs defeated the Heat in five games to win their fifth NBA championship in franchise history.

Gregg Popovich

Gregg Charles Popovich (born January 28, 1949) is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Taking over as coach of the Spurs in 1996, Popovich is currently the longest tenured active head coach in both the NBA and all major professional sports leagues in the United States. He has led the Spurs to a winning record in each of his 19 years at the helm. The only head coach with five NBA championships, Popovich is one of only three coaches, along with Red Auerbach and Pat Riley, to win five titles as head coach with a single team.

In 2012, Popovich was named NBA Coach of the Year for a third time (also 2003 and 2012). He has led the Spurs to 18 consecutive playoff appearances (as of 2016), tying Phil Jackson and George Karl for sixth-most consecutive playoff appearances by any head coach.

Popovich was born in East Chicago, Indiana on January 28, 1949, to a Serbian father and Croatian mother. He attended Merrillville High School and graduated in 1970 from the United States Air Force Academy. Respected for his basketball acumen by Michael Jordan and other players around him in his formative years during service as an intelligence officer from 1970–1972 after graduating from Air Force Academy with a B.S. in Soviet Studies when he served overseas during the Cold War which remains classified to this day although he stated later: “All I can say about it is that I am glad I got exposure to other cultures very early on.”

He began his coaching career after leading Douglas MacArthur High Schoolboys’ basketball team to victory in 1971’s Illinois state tournament game where he broke Auerbach’s record for wins by a rookie high school head coach when media outlets reported that Auerbach had taken an indefinite leave of absence from coaching while attending his grandson’s birth which was actually untrue but it made headlines across America due to its timing coinciding with MacArthur High School’s upset victory over previously undefeated East St. Louis Lincoln which had been ranked No. 1 all season long.

Erik Spoelstra

Erik Spoelstra is an American professional basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the first Asian-American head coach in NBA history.

Spoelstra was raised in Portland, Oregon, and star ted his coaching career with the Heat as an assistant video coordinator during the 1995–96 season. He worked his way up to become the team’s head coach in 2008. After leading the Heat to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances, including championships in 2012 and 2013, he was named one of People’s “Sexiest Men Alive” for 2013.

The Game

The First Half

In the first half of the 2014 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors jumped out to an early lead, but the Cleveland Cavaliers fought back. The score was tied at halftime, but the Warriors had momentum going into the second half.

The Second Half

The home team took the lead in the beginning of the third quarter, but the away team went on a run and took the lead back midway through the quarter. The home team regained the lead late in the quarter and held on to win the third quarter by a single point.

In the fourth quarter, both teams traded leads multiple times. The game came down to the final minute, where the home team made a couple of key defensive stops and held on to win by two points.

The Aftermath

It has been seven days since the Spurs defeating the Heat in the 2014 NBA Finals. Now that the dust has settled, let’s take a look at what happened and how it affected the league.

The Spurs’ Victory Parade

The Spurs’ victory parade following their win in the 2014 NBA Finals was a memorable event for fans and players alike. The parade route began at the Alamodome and wound its way through downtown San Antonio, ending at a rally in front of City Hall. Thousands of fans lined the streets, cheering and waving flags as the team’s float made its way to the final destination. Players were greeted with chants of “M-V-P!” as they walked up to the stage to receive their championship rings. It was a joyous occasion for all involved, and a fitting end to an unforgettable season.