Pregled posta

By S.L. Price

He hurled the ball high into the air, and it spun up and away and forgotten, the object that just moments before had been the most important thing in the building. Dwyane Wade began screaming. The clock ticked to zero, the horn sounded: But he knew already. He had known before anyone else in the arena that it was over, that his Miami Heat had come back yet again and won the 2006 NBA championship, that on this June night in Dallas he had, at 24, risen above his preordained peers to clutch the only prize that matters. The rest, though? He knew almost none of that.

Above Wade, above the American Airlines Center floor where the Mavericks and their shocked fans were edging toward the doors, the ball reached its peak, hovered an instant, started its fall. Already, the hierarchy of the basketball universe had been reshuffled, Wade's place in the game elevated and informed by long ago names and games. Time and again during these playoffs he pulled off heroics that echoed one basketball legend after another. Make room at the table, John Havlicek and Larry Bird: Wade stole New Jersey's final inbounds pass with nine tenths of a second left in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to send the Nets packing. Move over, Willis Reed: Wade did you one better, marching dramatically onto the court in the second half of a vital opening-round Game 5 against Chicago after suffering a hip contusion, then, four weeks later, checking out of a hospital after a night of vomiting caused by a sinus infection to carry the Heat in the series-sealing Game 6 of the conference finals against Detroit.

Yet, the most resounding echo of all, naturally, came at the end. It was Wade who led Miami, down 0-2 in the Finals and about to be buried, out of a 13-point hole with 6:15 to play in Game 3. It was Wade who wound up with 15 points in the fourth quarter, 42 overall, Wade who stole Dirk Nowitzki's inbounds pass with three tenths of a second left to put a boot to the Mavericks' throat. In the Heat sweep to follow, the Chicago-born, Jordan-worshipping Wade made it safe, for perhaps the first time since number 23 retired, to compare a guard with Michael and not risk embarrassment. At every pivotal point in Miami's oddly flawed playoff run, Wade had lifted his play to a personal high. But in those final four games -- with every Dallas player, coach and fan keying on him -- he punctuated a rise unlike any the league has seen, averaging 39.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals. No other player, in his first three NBA seasons, has scored more postseason points. No other player has come close.

"He just went off the charts," says former Heat coach Stan Van Gundy, now a consultant with the team. "Dwyane literally for six weeks played the game at a level that almost no one's ever played at. I don't know that Jordan ever played a better Finals. He's the best in the league right now, and the winning is what sets him apart from the other perimeter guys. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony are great and may eventually lead teams to championships. But the difference between Dwyane and Kobe is that when the Lakers won [three championships], Kobe had a huge part of it -- but Shaq was the lead guy. Last season Dwyane was the lead guy. He led them to a championship."

But it's not Wade's way to admit such a thing or concern himself -- even as he and his teammates hugged and danced after the Game 6 clincher -- with what any of it meant. For so long basketball had been his way to escape a legacy, not build one. "Thirteen points down with six minutes to go? That's not life or death," Wade says. "I've been through more than anybody knows. To me this is joy. This is when I can let it all out. This is my time."

So, yes, even as the ball plunged to the arena floor, sportswriters hit the keyboards, message boards hummed, talking heads babbled: The atmosphere of Sportsland was suddenly charged with a sense of revival. Wade had done it all again on this night -- 36 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four steals -- and would be named Finals MVP, but he'd also made winning a title as much about a franchise, a city, as himself. Who does that anymore? "I have my favorite players," says Denver Nuggets coach George Karl. "For a long time they were John Stockton, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan. Now my favorite player to watch on film is Dwyane Wade. He plays the game the right way.... His spirit, his presence is fun to watch. He doesn't cheat the game with emotion or negative energy. He's always visibly focused, disciplined and team."

Wade had spoken all season about winning a title for old-timers Alonzo Mourning and Gary Payton, and now they had their rings. Coach Pat Riley, a onetime burnout case who hadn't won a championship in 18 years and had been vilified for replacing Van Gundy six weeks into the season, now stood vindicated. And a league that, in comparison with its glor

WAVETECH CHIEFTAINS 4 MEDWAY BEARS 7
October 24 1993

Tonight I would like to welcome the players and supporters in this the second meeting in this year's league campaign.
In the first meeting, Medway came away with a very confident win - hopefully the tide will turn this evening for Chieftains.
We welcome the Bears to Riverside for the first time since their successful 1991-92 English League campaign, writes Mick Jordan.
The Kent club have made a strong start to this season and will certainty improve on their eighth position in last year's campaign.
Bears' attack is led by two imports enjoying their first season in British hockey. Scott Farrell is a free scoring player from the University of Arcadia and is joined by Derek Switzer, a fast and skilful player who comes to Medway after playing Junior A Hockey in Canada.
Their Canadian quartet is completed by two experienced defencemen Sean Clement is now in his fourth season at Medway and is now player coach with the club. Sean is joined by former Solihull Baron and Murrayfield Racer Ian Pound, now an assimilated player.
Bears success also owes a great deal to the strength of their British players. Club captain Gary McEwan is a vastly experienced forward who always scores freely.
He will be joined in the forward ranks by several ever-improving younger players in Scott Hughes, Paul Slaughter and Brett Shepherd. Medway also welcome the return of defenceman Rob Breskal after a successful spell with Bracknell Bees.
Between the pipes for the Bears are ex-Romford Raider Russ Jackson another player returning to Medway, and Dean Russell-Samways who has returned after a loan spell with Stevenage.

MATCH REPORT
Three Bears goals in four minutes during the second period proved to be the difference between the teams at Riverside on Sunday,
Medway's first line produced the damage, scoring all seven of their goals, the first after just 1.22 from Scott Farrell.
Derek Switzer doubled the lead after six minutes before Chieftains' captain Rick Smith opened the home team's account.
Chelmsford received a sucker punch at the start of the second, paying dearly for their lack of concentration and conceding a Farrell powerplay goal after just five seconds.
Chieftains Matt Giles delighted the Riverside crowd with a breakaway goal on his debut at 23.34 and the score stayed locked at 3-2 until Medway's three goal burst at the close of the period, with Gary McEwan scoring twice and Derek Switzer adding a sixth.
Chieftains' Garry McLoughlin pulled a goal back with a smart wrist shot in the opening minutes of the final period, but both Russ Jackson and James Gindlay - who faced a total of 40 shots on goal - were proving difficult to beat in their respective nets.
Farrell and Switzer combined to beat Grindlay after 54 minutes, the latter competing an impressive hat-trick.
The scoring was completed in the final minute of the game by Chelmsford's Mickey Keen, but the Essex side took little consolation from outscoring Bears in the period.

CHIEFTAINS - 1 James Grindlay 4 Shaun Cyr 5 Gary McLoughlin 1+0, 7 Gary McGeorge 8 Karl Rogers 9 Dave Fielder 10 Rick Smith 1+0, 11 Tony Cimelli 12 Jamie Deamer 14 Matt Giles (MoM), 15 Mark Norfolk 16 Adam Anderson 17 Mickey Keen 1+0, 18 Phil Donovan 19 Karl Goebel 0+1, 20 Jamie Randall 0+2, 30 Terry Bagley.
BEARS - 3 Neil Spratling 5 Ian Pound 7 Chris Gruber 9 Paul Slaughter 10 Scott Hughes 12 Scott Farrell 15 Brett Shepherd 18 Rob Breskall 19 Derek Switzer 21 Sean Clement 24 Andy Martin 25 Mark Thomas 29 Gary McEwan 31 Russell Jackson 35 Dean Russell-Samways.


WAVETECH CHIEFTAINS 4 MEDWAY BEARS 8
February 5 1994

We welcome some new faces to Chieftains.
Steve Rattle has joined as bench coach having worked previously with Stevenage. Barrie Aisbitt, a forward, has returned to the club after starting the season with Guildford Flames, Robbie Morris, also a forward, who played last season with Bristol Bulldogs and with Basingstoke Beavers this year and Gary Burchett a goaltender from Bracknell.
PS Which Chieftains have worn a Bears' shirt ?

PREVIEW
Chieftains meet Bears for the second time in a week tonight, and with two Autumn Trophy clashes to come in the next few weeks these two sides should be familiar with each other, writes Mick Jordan.
Bears' import quartet is led by the high scoring Luc Chabot (81+59 this season) who has returned to the Gillingham based club after a successful spell in Solihull,
Chabot is joined on the front line by Derek Switzer (58+66) a new face to British hockey this season.
Defensively the blue-line is patrolled by the impressive Sean Clement, now a firm fixture in Medway and player/coach.
Clement is joined by another ex-Solihull Baron, Ian Pound, who has now settled in to Bears line-up with help from ex-Chelmsford Chieftain Sean McFadyen.
Medway's forward line is boosted by top scoring Brit Gary McEwan, ex-Bracknell Bee Rob Breskal and the hard working Andy Martin.
Bears also have re-acquired ex-Romford