Kawhi Leonard went on a dominant run in the 2019 NBA playoffs with the Toronto Raptors. He helped the team win their first-ever championship and he ended up with Finals MVP honors in the process. Perhaps his most shining moment in the playoffs was when he dropped a game-winning buzzer-beater in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. It propelled his team to an unlikely victory that remains the best moment in Raptors history.
When Leonard took the shot, it made numerous bounces before dropping. Photographer Mark Blinch was able to capture the moment in which everyone on the court began reacting to the shot before it dropped. These reactions are all over the place and they make for a photo as iconic as the basket itself.
Blinch's efforts were rewarded recently as it was revealed that his photo won the "Best Sports Photo Of The Year" award for World Press Photo.
For those who don't know, World Press Photo is one of the most prestigious photography institutions in the world. For Blinch to be recognized for this image is not only huge for his career but the game of basketball as a whole.
While this moment will forever be iconic, there is no denying Blinch helped immortalize the moment and the emotions surrounding it, forever.
Tyronn Lue Tells Intense LeBron James Story From The 2016 Finals
Lue knew how to get under LeBron’s skin.
LeBron James had an interesting relationship with his Cleveland Cavaliers head coach, Tyronn Lue. At times, the two seemed to be at odds but in the end, they were a match made in heaven. The two eventually won a championship together back in 2016 when LeBron came back from 3-1 down against the Golden State Warriors. It was a series to remember that will forever be cemented in NBA history as one of the best Finals series ever.
In a recent article from Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Lue spoke about his time with the Cavaliers and divulged on an incredible story from Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. As Lue explained, LeBron got heated during halftime as Lue told him he needed to be better.
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“You gotta guard Draymond Green, stop turning the ball over, be aggressive, shoot the ball, be aggressive,” Lue said. “And I walked into the coach’s office. And this is what everybody told me. He grabbed (Damon Jones) and said, ‘Man, your boy’s trippin.’ And D. Jones said, ‘I’ve been in the G League, I haven’t been here all year, but everything I read in the paper about how much you trust T. Lue, how much you love T. Lue as a coach, why not trust him now?’”
Lue said LeBron had a similar sentiment for James Jones who agreed with Lue’s assessment.
“And then he went out and dominated the second half,” Lue said. “After the game, ’Bron said to me, ‘You know how to push my buttons, don’t you?’” “Yeah, motherf***er,” LeBron quipped back.
If it weren’t for Ty Lue’s button-pushing, who knows what would have happened in the second half? Maybe LeBron wouldn’t have that third ring.
