2014 NBA Finals - Kawhi Leonard emerges as the hero for the San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs left the world stunned with their dominant series win over the star studded Miami Heat.

San Antonio Spurs dominated the heavily favoured Miami Heat, winning the series with a formidable margin of 4-1. They won with a lead of 15 points or more in all those 4 wins,shattering the Heats’ hopes of a three-peat.

The Spurs’ Big Three – Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker played an integral part in the win, making this their 3rd NBA championship together, while Miami’s Big Three – Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James failed to match the Spurs.

Kawhi Leonard

However, it is their youngest player that’s making headlines. The 22-year-old rookie Kawhi Leonard’s versatile performance proved vital as he averaged 17.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals per game, relieving his veteran all-star teammates of the pressure. He was awarded the NBA Finals MVP (most valuable player), the third youngest in the history of the NBA behind his teammate Tim Duncan and Magic Johnson.

The humbled MVP is in a state of awe as he cannot believe what he has accomplished. “Right now, its just surreal to me”, says the shy Leonard.

His dominant defensive presence along with his astounding wingspan allowed him to put immense pressure on the Lebron James, who despite his best efforts was not able to propel his team to victory. The Spurs have now won 5 NBA titles under head coach and furture hall of famer Gregg Popovich, who was all praises for the youngster.

“I think he’s going to be a star. And as time goes on, he’ll be the face of the Spurs, I think. At both ends of the court, he is really a special player. And what makes me be so confident about him is that he wants it so badly. He wants to be a good player, I mean a great player. He comes early, he stays late, and he’s coachable, he’s just like a sponge. When you consider he’s only had (two years) of college and no training camp yet, you can see that he’s going to be something else,” Popovich said.

LeBron James’s dream of achieving a three-peat and joining NBA’s most elite players – Micheal Jordan, Bill Russel, Kobe Bryant, Earvin Magic Johnson, etc. was decimated by the Spurs’ high flying performance in the NBA finals.The Heat nation were left heart broken as their stars failed to deliver throughtout the finals.

“They were a much better team,” said the disappointed James in his post game interview.

However this might not be the end, Heat fans may have to face more heartbreak as LeBron James’s contract with the Heat ends this season, potentially making him a free agent.