Parker, Ginobili and Duncan triumph again under Popovich.
The San Antonio Spurs secured their fifth NBA championship on Sunday night, clinching a 4-1 series win over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals 2014 after their 104-87 win in Game 5.
Having ended the regular season with a league-best 62-20 record, the Spurs defeated the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and the Oklahoma City Thunder to emerge from the Western Conference as champions.
However, after the heartbreak of their loss to the Heat in the Finals last year, they were able to bounce back and avenge that defeat this time round with a convincing 4-1 series win.
It is a fifth championship for the franchise with the likes of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker continuing their illustrious careers with the Spurs, while coach Gregg Popovich will undoubtedly receive a significant amount of praise for his role.
Meanwhile, San Antonio’s Finals win ends hopes of a three-peat for the Heat, who saw their reign at the top come to an end after two years of success.
With their ‘Big Three’ set to face the opportunity to opt out of their contracts and become free agents this summer, it remains to be seen where the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh continue next year, but ultimately they have proven time and time again that they deserve to be champions.
As for the Spurs, Duncan, Ginobili and Parker all have another year on their current contracts remaining and are expected to continue, while Popovich told reporters prior to Game 5 that he would want to continue coaching.
The @Spurs hoist the 2014 Larry O'Brien Trophy! pic.twitter.com/a5u0LtuWcy
— NBA (@NBA) June 16, 2014
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