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By James Nosek
The drink orders were in.
Buffalo Wild Wings was buzzing. It was Championship Monday. The hours and hours of pre-game for the National Championship were on the back burner. The Notre Dame basketball team was in the spotlight, for now. The football team would sack their TV time 30 minutes later.
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James Nosek | Press Box Perspectives Editor/Columnist
Nine years in the making, the dream finally came true for LeBron James.
As the Heat celebrated the franchise’s second NBA Championship, James’ critics, colleagues and fans could only watch. We saw a NBA superstar develop the past decade. (If you haven’t noticed that then you’re as NBA savvy as the million of Twitter “fans” who decided to be a basketball fan, and Heat fan, for one night).
“I’m an NBA champion, you can never take that away from me,” James belted out as he walked in the backstage hallways of the American Airlines Arena, holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy and the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award in both hands.
James Nosek | Press Box Perspectives Editor/Columnist
It’s inevitable for a leader like LeBron James to be there when his team needs him the most. That’s been occurring in every game of this year’s Finals, as well as most of the playoffs. What’s even more beneficial is a leader who can not only do his job physically, through his athletic, and God-given talent, but show his self-composure when Kevin Durant and company are trying to put out their burning flame.
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What is it with the Thunder playing good in the final quarter? Do they drink a special Gatorade after the third quarter? Do they drink Bugs Bunny’s “secret stuff”? Is it just luck?
The fourth quarter performances, in both game one and game two, have been legendary. We have all witnessed them. Even LeBron James is witnessing them. Isn’t that ironic?
In game one, Kevin Durant, specifically, carried his Thunder in the fourth quarter and completed a fantastic bounce back from the first three quarters. He finished with 17 points in the final frame, but it was his demeanor that helped them come back and beat the Heat.
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James Nosek | Press Box Perspectives Editor/Columnist
Sometimes a compliment can be a bad thing. That turned out to be a bad omen for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Ever since the Thunder won game one of the NBA Finals last Tuesday night, they have been on top of the world. They came back from 13 points down, outshined the Heat in the fourth quarter and won game one. They thought they won the series—and everyone else thought they won the series.
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LeBron James can finally shut up the critics, at least for one night.
His 32 point (10/22 FG), 8 rebound, 5 assist performance in game two of the NBA Finals helped achieve that goal. Sure, his fifth straight game with at least 30 points should stop the “un-clutch” references about James’ game. But, for his standards, it’s not good enough.
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James Nosek | Press Box Perspectives Editor/Columnist
If you watched the fourth quarter of last night’s game one you probably stumbled upon two completely different teams.
One team was a very confident and poised group of players that were led by a clutch leader. The other team was a dysfunctional, flustered group of superstars who looked more like some street ballers playing a pickup game at Rucker Park.
Can you guess which one was the Miami Heat?
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James Nosek | Press Box Perspectives Editor/Columnist
Cool, calm and collective.
That was the Oklahoma City Thunder. That was the OKC crowd. And that was Kevin Durant.
Being down by 13 in the first game of the NBA Finals, against a team like the Miami Heat, can be a daunting task—especially when this is the first go-around for the young Thunder, led by the 23-year old superstars.
But as we found out, it wasn’t daunting enough.
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James Nosek | Press Box Perspectives Editor/Columnist
It was either a message to the Heat fans of the American Airlines Arena or a message to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but LeBron James sure made his point.
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James Nosek | Press Box Perspectives Editor/Columnist
Kevin Durant was 27 seconds away from the NBA Finals. Even though his Oklahoma City Thunder had a cushioned lead in the Western Conference Finals, it wasn’t enough. There needed to be that icing on the cake, one last moment to solidify a classic playoff atmosphere.
Press Box Perspectives 
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