Dwayne Wade: Call me Three now

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian stole the spotlight from the NBA Finals on Thursday, as their newborn baby's name was revealed in the middle of a fantastic Game 7.

And the name wasn't LeBron or Manu.

The name of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's baby girl was North West.

But Dwayne Wade more than one-upped at the Miami Heat's postgame interview. Wade who has gone by Flash, D-Wade told everyone that he would answer only to his new name: Three.

And he wasn't kidding. Wade shook his head and conformed the reporter that asked "Three?".

Why Three? It is not only his jersey number, but now it is also the number of championships he won.

So for future relevance, Bill Russell is Eleven, Michael Jordan is Six and Kobe is Five.

tags: Dwayne Wade, Three, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, North West, NBA finals, NBA mvp, NBA champion, D-Wade, Flash, Dwayne Wade Three

NBA Finals | San Antonio Spurs | vs | Miami Heat | June 20, 2013 | NBA Live

NBA Live

NBA Finals : San Antonio Spurs vs Miami Heat June 20, 2013

MIAMI -- Game 7s do more than settle championships. They define legacies.

No matter what happens Thursday night, LeBron James and the Miami Heat, and Tim Duncan's San Antonio Spurs have already won NBA titles and secured a place in history. 

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Now is Miami Heat's and San Antonio Spurs' opportunity to elevate it.

The truly memorable teams won the hard way, and that will be the case for the one celebrating at center court this time. It's either a Heat repeat, possible only after James led them back from what seemed certain elimination in the closing seconds of Game 6, or the Spurs shaking off as gut-wrenching a loss as a team can have to become just the fourth club to win a Game 7 of the NBA Finals on the road.

"As a competitor you love it, because you know you have an opportunity and it's up to you," Miami Heat guard Ray Allen said. "We have a chance in our building to make something great. All of our legacies are tied to this moment, this game. It's something our kids will be able to talk about that they were a part of. Forever will remember these moments, so we want to not live and have any regrets."

Allen played in the game the last time the NBA's season went down to the very last day, the Boston Celtics fading at the finish and falling 83-79 to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010. That made home teams 14-3 in finals Game 7s, with no road team winning since Washington beat Seattle in 1978.

Overcoming those odds, not to mention the NBA's winningest team, would make this more memorable than the Spurs' previous four titles, though this is a franchise that never dwells too much on the past or looks too far into the future.

All that matters is now.

"You know what, it's all about just winning the title. It's not about situation or what has led up to it," Duncan said. "It's a great story for everybody else, but we're here for one reason, one reason only: It's to try to win this game (Thursday). We have had a very good season thus far, and I think we just want to get to the game more than anything. We just want to see what happens and be able to leave everything out there."

The teams trudged back to the arena Wednesday, some 12 hours after the Heat pulled out a 103-100 overtime victory in Game 6 to even the series. The Spurs, five points ahead with 28 seconds left in regulation, had to fight off fatigue and heartbreak, insisting neither would linger into Thursday.

By far the best game of this series, Game 6 immediately took its place among the best finishes in finals history, with everything from James' triple-double to Allen's tying 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left in regulation.

It had close calls, debatable decisions, and the NBA's best player at his very best when his team needed him most.

Games 2-5 in the series had been ugly, but that one was a beauty.

"I think -- I know -- that game will go down as one of the best finals games that's been seen," Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. "But I think this series will go down as being one of the most competitive, bizarre series that's been seen. So this is what you pay for to watch. You pay to watch two great teams battle to the very, very end, and that's what we'll do (Thursday). It will be to the very last second."

The Heat could become the NBA's first repeat champions since the Lakers in 2010. James and Chris Bosh moved to Miami to join Wade a few weeks later and they are in the finals for the third time in three chances.

But playing for titles is more expected than celebrated now in Miami, and a 66-win season that included a 27-game winning streak -- and perhaps the whole Big Three era -- goes down as a failure if the Heat fall Thursday. Yet James said he doesn't need the victory to validate his decision to take his talents to South Beach.

"I mean, I need it because I want it and I only came here -- my only goal is to win championships," he said. "I said it, this is what I came here for. This is what I wanted to be a part of this team for."

LeBron James, Wade and Bosh are going for No. 2, while San Antonio is getting a second shot at what would be a fourth together for Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. All their years together have given the Spurs' trio the belief they can bounce back from Tuesday's collapse.

The team went to dinner after the game, Duncan figuring that was better than guys sitting alone with their thoughts in their rooms. Parker and Boris Diaw discussed a similar situation with the French national team in the 2005 European championships, when they blew a late lead against Greece in the semifinals but then came back to beat Spain for the bronze medal.

"We just have to be positive and forget Game 6," Parker said. "It was a great opportunity, but that's life. It's basketball and everybody will be ready."

So will James, who was planning a relaxing night with family and friends Wednesday. He has the most at stake in the game, and when it's over he'll be either a two-time NBA Finals MVP or a two-time loser in a Heat uniform.

"I want to go down as one of the greatest. I want our team to go down as one of the greatest teams. And we have an opportunity to do that," James said. "Hasn't been many teams to win back-to-back championships. It's so hard. It's the hardest thing. I said last year it was the hardest thing I've ever done, winning my first. Last year don't even come close to what we've gone through in this postseason and in these finals.

"So I'll be there (Thursday) night. I'm going to give it my all."

The Spurs have never lost in the finals, but they've never faced a situation quite like this. They won a Game 7 for the 2005 championship, but that victory over Detroit was at home. The last five finals that went the distance all went to the home team.

"I don't really care what it's been like for anybody else at any time," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "All I know is we have had a hell of a year and we have an opportunity to win a championship. That's all that matters."

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Miami Heat vs San Antonio Spurs | Miami Heat vs San Antonio Spurs Game 3 | Miami Heat vs San Antonio Spurs Live Stream June 11, 2013

After Game 2 of NBA Finals, Miami Heat will face San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center at 9 PM June 11, 2013.

Currently, the series is tied 1-1.

The San Antonio Spurs taken home-court advantage away from the Miami Heat, but then the reigning champions took them apart. San Antonio Spurs' victory in Game 1 was an accomplishment, but nothing that provided them any momentum after Miami Heat's 103-84 victory in Game 2.

"Not after tonight. I think they regained that," Tim Duncan said. The teams took Monday off, with the series resuming Tuesday night. San Antonio Spurs will also host Game 4 on Thursday and Game 5 on Sunday.



San Antonio Spurs won four titles in a nine-year span starting in 1999, but has not hosted a game in the NBA's championship round since the San Antonio Spurs took a 2-0 lead over Lebron James and Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007.

Lebron James said "It does not matter. Two best teams in the NBA at this point. Both teams have won and can win on each other's floor. So it is not a biggie."



Miami Heat are just 3-22 in San Antonio, although they did win this year even while Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Mario Chalmers sat out the late-season meeting.

Lebron James had no cause for concern after Game 2, which validated his belief that he can depend on his teammates until he gets rolling. But a little doubt seemed to creep into the San Antonio Spurs' Big Three. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have teamed for 99 postseason victories together, second-most in NBA history, a trio that is well aware of how rapidly things may change in the playoff series.



They changed really quickly in this series, about the time it took Lebron James to turn Tiago Splitter's dunk into a forever finals highlight with a blocked shot. "Of course if you look at the result, being 1-1, it's not bad. But you don't want to play like this in an NBA Finals," Manu Ginobili said.

Tim Duncan was admittedly terrible in Game 2, shooting 3-of-13 for nine points. Tony Parker offset his five baskets in 14 attempts with five turnovers, and Manu Ginobili had three of the San Antonio Spurs' 17 turnovers that led to 19 points. San Antonio Spurs, like every other team in the NBA, know that there is no way to beat the Miami Heat with that kind of inefficient ball handling.

Big Three against Big Three provided plenty of buildup to the series, and Manu Ginobili said the San Antonio Spurs stand little chance of winning if their trio plays poorly. But Lebron James having seen the Miami Heat not have enough when they were largely just he, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh two years ago, insists his current team is deep enough to do enough damage even when it does not come from the big names.

San Antonio Spurs are shooting just 41 percent and averaging 88 points in the series, perhaps lucky to not be down 2-0. Tim Duncan, the three-time NBA Finals MVP who always seemed to be more reliable the later in the season it was, he made only 11-of-32 shots.

San Antonio Spurs vs Miami Heat Live Stream June 6, 2013

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The NBA Finals series between San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat will start at 9 PM at American Airlines Arena, Miami.

NBA Eastern Conference Finals between Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers showed everyone that Miami Heat is carried by Lebron James. Last playoff clash between Spurs and Lebron James happened in 2007 when Cleveland Cavaliers faced San Antonio Spurs in NBA Finals. Lebron is 50 times better than in 2007.

San Antonio Spurs vs Miami Heat Live Stream



It is obvious that Lebron James developed his technique, physique and leadership skills. Spurs is aware of this situation and they will be more cautious compared to 2007 finals. They know that Heat will not be an easy rival.

San Antonio Spurs vs Miami Heat Game 1 Live Stream June 6, 2013

NBA Finals series between San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat will start tonight at 9 PM at American Airlines Arena, Miami.

San Antoino Spurs swept Lebron James' Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals. Though it was clearly easy then, now everything seems different plus nothing is easy now.


It is obvious that Lebron James is currently the best player in the game and is surrounded by more talent in Miami than he ever had in Cleveland.

Team Stat Leaders

	SA	MIA
Points	T. Parker 23.0	L. James 26.2
Rebounds	T. Duncan 9.2	L. James 7.3
Assists	T. Parker 7.2	L. James 6.4
Steals	K. Leonard 1.6	D. Wade 1.6
Blocks	T. Duncan 1.7	C. Bosh 1.6

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