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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2020

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FLORIDA: The Lakers pose for a team photo with the trophy after winning the 2020 NBA Championship over the Heat in Game Six of the 2020 NBA Finals at Advent Health Arena on October 11, 2020. —AFP Lakers capture 17th NBA title Happy ending to a season marred by death of Bryant

ORLANDO: A team led by super- “For me to be a part of such a historical franchise is it open by halftime, their 36 second-quarter points , couldn’t produce another miracle in the face star LeBron James dominated the 106-93 an unbelievable feeling.” , playing in his equaling the Heat’s entire first half total as the Lakers of Los Angeles’ stifling defense. on Sunday to win a record-equaling 17th NBA cham- first championship series after years of frustration in took a 64-36 lead into the break. led the Heat with 25 points and 10 pionship but their first in a decade. James added New Orleans, added 19 points and 15 rebounds as the Four Lakers players had scored in double-figures rebounds and Butler and added 12 another chapter to an epic career, fueling the Lakers Lakers completed a four-games-to-two triumph in the by halftime. was a perfect six-for-six apiece, but Miami simply had no answer for the with a -double of 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 best-of-seven championship series more than eight from the floor in the first half as the Lakers built the knockout blow Los Angeles delivered in the first half. assists and capturing his fourth NBA title with a third months after the death in a helicopter crash of team leg- second-largest halftime lead in NBA Finals history. The series in the NBA’s quarantine bubble in different team, as well as earning NBA Finals Most end -who led the Lakers to their last title in Rondo, who won a title with the Celtics in 2008, Orlando, Florida, capped not only an emotional sea- Valuable Player honors for a fourth time. “It means a 2010. scored 19 points off the bench. Kentavious Caldwell- son for the Lakers with the loss of talisman Bryant lot to represent this franchise,” James said, recalling The Lakers out-hustled, out-muscled and out- Pope added 17 and scored 11 and the but a season of uncertainty and upheaval for the that he told team owner when he arrived played Miami, the Heat, making sure it wouldn’t come Lakers pulled level with the for most NBA as players grappled with the coronavirus pan- in Los Angeles in 2018, “I wanted to put this franchise down to any last-gasp effort as it did when they were titles all-time. The Heat, who had stunned the Lakers demic and the demands for social and racial justice back where it belongs. denied in game five on Friday. Los Angeles had blown on Friday on the back of ’s gritty triple- sweeping across the United States. —AFP

Team” to Barcelona gold, with James responding to LeBron improves a sub-par bronze effort in 2004 by sparking US gold medal runs in 2008 and 2012. James is only the fourth player in history to reach case vs Jordan as 10 career NBA Finals. Only Russell and teammate Sam Jones have played more, but James is only 4-6 all-time NBA best in the finals. Does the purity of Jordan’s 6-for-6 feat beat the longevity and diversity of James’s success? LOS ANGELES: As the first player to lead three dif- Does it even matter? Can’t each be king of his era? ferent teams to NBA titles, LeBron James has revived “The best and most ‘complete’ player I have seen in the question of whether he or is the my lifetime is @KingJames on and off the floor,” league’s greatest-ever superstar. “I don’t know,” long-time Jordan nemesis Isiah Thomas tweeted James said. “I’m going to let you guys talk about it.” Thursday. “He passed the eye test and the numbers James captured his fourth NBA title in his 10th finals confirm what my eyes have seen in every statistical appearance when the Los Angeles Lakers beat the category. #GOAT let it be known!” Miami Heat 106-93 on Sunday to close out the series Thomas is hardly a neutral observer, the bad 4-2. James was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable blood between himself and Jordan clear to see in the Player for the fourth time. The only player with more Jordan documentary “The Last Dance” that became finals MVP awards is Jordan with six. Jordan won six a global TV hit during the coronavirus shutdown this titles in six NBA Finals appearances for the Chicago year. , a 2015 teammate of James in Bulls during the 1990s, taking most of two seasons Cleveland who won an NBA crown with Boston in off between two three-peats to pursue a baseball 2008, cast his vote in the debate with LeBron also. career after his father’s death. “My separator from Bron and everybody else is Jordan’s game evolved over time, the high-leaping PRESSURE,” he tweeted. “Goat expectations from playmaker who could single-handedly dominate foes day 1 at 18 years old, carry the city from day (1), giving way to a veteran who could get the most from comparisons to legends from day 1. All expectations EXCEEDED!” every teammate and help carry the load during his LOS ANGELES: Lakers fans celebrate in front of the Staples on October 11, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. People second title trilogy. Taking full advantage of the era James has won his latest title at 35, the same age gathered to celebrate after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. —AFP of big money and free agency that Jordan largely when Jordan won his last crown. But James is just created, James maximized his money and turned getting started with the Lakers. “This never gets multiple teams into champions, his role evolving over old,” he said. After teen prodigy James was the 2003 years in a row but only won once. James is the all- from which James could be more outspoken. James the years as did his supporting cast. NBA Draft top pick, he led Cleveland to the NBA time playoff scoring leader, has played a record 260 and his More Than A Vote initiative helped register Where James is clearly king is off the court. His Finals at age 22, his high-leaping, slam dunk, Jordan- playoff games, and ranks third on the NBA all-time voters and recruited 10,000 election poll workers. education initiatives and social activism are a far esque moves unable to stop the Cavs from being scoring list. He’s a 16-time NBA All-Star and a four- He has been a vocal critic of US President Donald cry from Jordan’s infamous comment that swept by San Antonio in 2007. After dumping the time NBA Most Valuable Player while Jordan is a 14- Trump and supported racial justice policies in the “Republicans buy sneakers too,” when asked why Cavs in 2010 for Miami, James led the Heat to four time NBA All-Star and a five-time NBA MVP. wake of George Floyd’s death last May. “I do my he was not more politically active. If mere titles consecutive NBA Finals and won two titles as part of part on continuing to create change, continuing to alone decided the greatest NBA player, dominant the “” with and . LeBron rules off-court educate, continuing to enlighten communities all 1960s Boston big man would own the James returned to Cleveland in 2014 and with a While Jordan was no activist, he was a pioneer over the world that listen to me,” James said. “You tag with 11, more than Jordan and James combined, rebuilt roster brought a title to his home region in off the court, from sealing landmark deals with control what you can and what you can’t, some- in 13 seasons. However, it was Jordan who took the 2016, denying a 73-win Golden State team a of Nike and others to pushing the global growth of times as much as it hurts, you just try not to worry NBA global by leading the 1992 Olympic “Dream four consecutive titles. His Cavs made the finals four the game. His efforts helped build a foundation about it.”—AFP