Postgame Quotes: Spurs vs. Cavs 06/14/07
Gregg Popovich
Tim Duncan
Tony Parker
Manu Ginobili
Michael Finley
Robert Horry
David Robison
Fabricio Oberto
Mike Brown
LeBron James
An interview with:
COACH GREGG POPOVICH
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: First of all, I've got to commend Mike Brown and his staff with Danny Ferry, ownership, the whole Cavaliers organization, for what they did this season and what they put together so quickly. They've done an amazing job. It's not just blowing smoke at them or anything. I know those people very well, and they've done a hell of a job in a short period of time. So I'm thrilled for their success.
Obviously it's a great thrill to win a championship, and for us the happiest part was watching Michael Finley, who's been an unbelievable pro for a lot of years, and he was the epitome of happiness tonight. That made it worthwhile for all of us.
Q. Tony Parker talked this week about now an appreciation of how hard you rode him when he first got to San Antonio and considering how much you pushed him and all that. I was wondering about your thoughts on him winning the MVP in The Finals.
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: Well, we talked about it immediately standing on that little stage. I reminded him that when we first gave him his first workout, we didn't think he was tough enough and we sent him home. And then we set up another interview, another workout where we stacked it and had some people go after him physically, and he was fantastic in that one. I reminded him of that, and he had a big laugh. And I said, "Now you're here standing on the stage with the Finals MVP trophy," and he just kept laughing. He couldn't believe it.
He's come a long way, and it's very satisfying to have been able to watch that progress in him.
Q. You've now won championships in four games, five games, six games and seven games. Is there one championship that stands out more than another, or are they all like your kids, each of them special?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: I wish I could have thought of that answer before you gave it. That would have made me look really good.
They are all different. Each championship has a personality of its own, it's got a few different people involved in it. Obviously watching Tim Duncan be a common thread through it all is especially satisfying and amazing to me that he's able to do what he does with that group.
Sometimes he's the best player, sometimes he's not. But he's the common denominator for the whole group.
This group is different and special from the other ones just because there's some different people on it. We had to go through a different process this season. We weren't very good in the beginning of the year, kind of lost our focus defensively, kind of got it back. So in that sense, I think these guys worked very hard to get something back that apparently they had lost.
Q. Could you please talk about Manu Ginobili's bounce‑back game tonight?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: Manu is a competitor. He might have a game like he had in Game 3 where a lot doesn't happen, but, you know, he continued to notice and rebound and play D and get some assists. But tonight offensively down the stretch, we went to him a couple times, called his number in a couple situations, and again, he's done what he did so many times, in Olympic games, in European championships, in NBA championships. He's just an ultimate competitor.
Q. The last two dynasties, Chicago and the Lakers, were broken up for a lot of different reasons, money, jealousy, egos. Your appreciation for the way you guys have been able to sustain this and the leadership here, to keep a lot of those things away that tend to tear up winning franchises?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: I think that is probably more than anything attributed to two things, one, our ownership under Peter Holt allows us to do our jobs. I think I mentioned in some interview along the way here, we've been together, I don't know, a decade or something like that now, and he's never said no to me about anything. Not one time have I gotten a no. He just trusts us to do our jobs and do what we do.
And secondly, I think that longevity is attributed to Timmy and the other guys we've tried to bring in who have a certain character, a character that's made up of just people who have gotten over themselves, people who care about the team more than an individual, and I think it shows in a lot of different ways, and it makes it easy to coach that group. It makes it easy for that group to get along because there are a lot of bus rides and plane rides, if they get along and are happy about each other's success. A good example would be Manu, an All‑Star, coming off the bench, he actually does that. I'm still amazed, he does that. When I was in college I thought the coach was screwing me because he didn't start me and I didn't make the varsity until I was a junior. This guy is an All‑Star. I asked, "Can you please sit on the bench." And he did it. When you have those kind of guys, it's something special.
Q. In January and February you challenged your guys when they were struggling by standards. Did you ever have a doubt that they'd respond?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: I guess I do, because all coaches to some degree we're sick and paranoid. So the thought went through my head, are they sick of listening to me, are they tired of hearing it? Have we run the gamut of every motivational thing or emotional button we can push? I thought about it because I didn't think they were listening, but I was trying for a while and then I got some help. We went to Milwaukee and they humiliated us there with a zillion points in the paint and other things. From that point on, film sessions and that type of thing, not trading anybody, making them stay, not going to trade, you guys are going down or you're getting it done together, but there will be no trades here. I think it helped us turn the corner.
Q. What bottle best complements a fourth title?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: That's a tough one (laughter). I don't think it ever changes. You know, you can't do better than Romani Canti (phonetic). There's some good Italians, too.
An interview with:
TIM DUNCAN
Q. When you look at this series now that it's over, what was the key for you guys in all four games in keeping LeBron at bay and ending this in four games?
TIM DUNCAN: It was our team defense. It was Bruce Bowen sitting down on him for 40‑some odd minutes every night. It was our guys understanding that he wasn't able to do it himself. But I think it just starts with Bruce. I've got to give a lot of credit to Bruce. He did an awesome job of standing in front of that guy and making life tough for him.
We understood as a group that we were going to have to do our part. They fought, they hit the offensive glass, they did everything they could, but we sustained. They made runs, we never panicked. I think it just shows a lot of the experience, the poise that we've built over the years, and I think we just outlasted them.
Q. The game plan coming into this series, was it one that you guys devised, or did you watch maybe Game 6 of that Detroit series and see what Detroit did and take a little bit from that?
TIM DUNCAN: We devise our own game game plan. We don't rely on anyone else. It's all us (laughter). You learn from everything. I think our coaches are the best in the business at watching game film, and we see these guys two times a year. Honestly we probably would have been more comfortable playing Detroit because we had played them more times before. We play Cleveland twice a year, and it's spread out and this year was so early in the year. We were different teams. We had to watch a lot of film, we had to figure out their tendencies, we had to figure out our game plan walking into this gym before we actually even had played these guys and know what they were about.
Our coaching staff, give them a whole lot of credit at getting us prepared, getting us ready to play these guys.
Q. Talk about winning your fourth championship, also with Michael Finley finally getting one, and how tough to close out as we talked about the other day?
TIM DUNCAN: You know, it was a tough close‑out. Guys like Mike Fin is what it's all about, to win a championship, to see how much he appreciates it, to see Jacque Vaughn and even Robert Horry, to see the looks on their face and the understanding of how special and how tough it is to get here, it makes it all worth it. Not that it's not worth it by itself, but those guys make it epitomize and define what it is about a journey to get here and how hard it is to get here.
Q. Was it almost appropriate that it took a great deal of perseverance in the fourth quarter to get this victory after the season ‑‑
TIM DUNCAN: It made it sweeter, it really did. It would have been ‑‑ it would have been sweet either way, but it made it sweeter for them to make a run, for us to answer, for us to keep our composure and to find a way to win, no matter what. Those guys played great in that fourth quarter. They outscored us in the fourth quarter, as they did most of the series. We made plays, we found ways to get it done. I didn't play the greatest, people missed shots, they got offensive rebounds, they made plays. But we found a way to win. That's what this team is all about. No matter what happens we find ways to win.
Q. Could you talk about what Manu did in the third quarter, 13 points, after the game that he had in Game 3 when he didn't have a basket?
TIM DUNCAN: Manu is our X factor. Manu is the guy that when it all breaks down, when it all goes bad, when our offense isn't clicking the right way, he's the guy that makes plays. That's his role. That's his role, and this team is about roles. This team is about people filling their spots when they have to, and that is absolutely his role. He was great tonight in it.
Q. Can you talk about late in the game, two minutes to go, four possessions, three offensive rebound series and you guys put a little dish to Oberto? How big was that in the overall scheme of the game?
TIM DUNCAN: It was huge. It was a great time to do it. Our effort was there. They were the team who was being the aggressor on the glass, and they were the ones getting it done on the glass. And we had a stretch there where we got extra possessions. We found a way to get it done. As I was saying with the last question, we made plays and found a way to get it done when it wasn't there. That effort and that perseverance is what defines this team. We find a way to get it done when it's time to get it done.
Q. This is your fourth title with Coach Popovich. What does Coach Popovich mean to you?
TIM DUNCAN: Such a broad question. Coach Pop is ‑‑ he's the one that puts us together. He's the guy that makes it run. He's the one that stays on us, no matter how well or how badly we're playing. He finds the right way to approach us. I can say no more than he defines the team. He always has, and as long as he's here, he always will.
Q. Both you and Manu came in and you looked at the box score when you guys have just won a world championship. What's it mean that you guys, at a time of celebration, are still worried about the details? What does that say about your franchise?
TIM DUNCAN: We're sticklers, I don't know. That's probably bad (laughter). We should appreciate and enjoy the win. To end the season 4‑of‑15 and 4‑of‑10 game is disappointing. In this situation it shouldn't be, but I think we're all competitors, and it defines us as competitors. We want to be the best players that we can be in the biggest situations. Honestly, I thought those other guys were great, and I thought I was sub‑par. But we got it done, and that's all that matters. That's all that matters.
An interview with:
Tony Parker
Q. You have a lot of family and friends with you all spring, staying with you, and I think some of them have been here in Cleveland. What's it meant for you to have that whole group with you in what's been obviously such a great season?
TONY PARKER: My teammates, they always joke with me that I've always got the French Mafia with me. I've always got people with me. I just like to share those moments with my family and my friends. And one of my best friends just came from London, and I've got my brothers and my dad. And I'm just so happy to share those moments, because I feel very lucky and blessed to play with San Antonio, and I want to make sure they get to live those moments, because it's not every day that you can win the championship.
Q. Coach Popovich recounted a story that you guys shared a laugh on the stage out there about your first workout, and now here you are NBA MVP. What has Coach Popovich meant to you?
TONY PARKER: He meant everything. You know, he's just been unbelievable with me. When I first came, I did a workout and I was terrible, and Coach Pop said, I never want to see him again. And then I came back and I did better, and they finally drafted me. And after five games he puts me in the starting five. Just like that, it was just like growing pains. But it was just great because it made me better.
Pop always pushed me, even if I was lazy or nonchalant at practice, he always pushed me and pushed me. Today if I am The Finals MVP I can definitely give a lot of credit to Coach Pop because I would never be here without him.
Q. I'm curious, we've seen champions win, but even a champion, when faced with a run like that in the fourth quarter, would have folded up shop and said, let's get them next game. What is it about this team over the time you've been here that you never seem to lose your poise?
TONY PARKER: I think the experience. We're an old team. We've been there. We knew Cleveland was going to make a run, so we just let the storm go by and refocus, and we never had panic on our team, never. They went to 14‑0 or something like that, and we never panicked. We were like, okay, they made their run and now we're going to finish it off. That's what's great about our team, we just play defense. And when you play defense it's going to give you an opportunity to win the game. Manu made shots and Timmy made shots and we were able to make some stops and win the game.
Q. What is the source of that calmness?
TONY PARKER: It starts with Pop, the fact that he never let us, you know, get comfortable. He's always behind us, always, like, come on, focus, focus, and I think it carries on. Every day in practice you just get that mentality. And then Timmy is the same way, he comes to practice and practices hard every day. When your superstar practices like that, you have to practice hard.
Q. You said yesterday that when they were looking at Jason Kidd, it kind of upset you, and you said something to them. Did you ever think in 2003, well, I'm going to show them, I'll win an MVP trophy and I'll win another championship?
TONY PARKER: I never thought about that. I told them I'm the right point guard for that team. I told Pop, I want to be the point guard on that team. I want to do it, and I'm going to work hard to become a great player. It made him mad at the time, but I think now he understands where I'm coming from because I've got a lot of confidence in myself, and I knew I could do it. I put a lot of work to arrive here.
Q. Can you talk about the significance of being the first European to win the MVP title?
TONY PARKER: It's great, it's great. It's just unbelievable. I'm speechless. When I look at that trophy, I'm going to wake up tomorrow and it's still going to be a dream. European basketball is improving every year. You've got Dirk Nowitzki the MVP for the first time and now the MVP Finals. There's going to be more. I'm on the list now.
Q. Along those same lines, you've got the flag over your shoulders. Did you pack that today, just the significance of wearing it?
TONY PARKER: No, I've worn it every time we won it. After the third time I wear it. It's just to show some love to my country. I don't forget about them. I know a lot of people wake up at 3 in the morning to watch me play. I'll be ready this summer to play with the national team.
Q. You won The Finals, you won the MVP of the Finals, you're about to get married to the woman you love. Is there anything else in this world you want that you don't have?
TONY PARKER: I'm not complaining. I will definitely remember 2007. It's a great year, and I'm going to thank God, go to church when I come back to San Antonio. I've been very blessed, very blessed. I don't know what I did, but it's a great year.
Q. Who's more popular now in France, you or Zidane?
TONY PARKER: That's a great question. You should put me on the same list, too. Zidane is always going to be the man in France because soccer is so popular, but hopefully French people can realize what I just accomplished, three championships in five years, that's not bad.
Q. Just curious, which is better, this ring or the one Eva is going to give you next month?
TONY PARKER: Both, both. Can't choose, both. Both are very good.
Q. Can you share with us what Tim Duncan said to you after you got the trophy?
TONY PARKER: He told me he was so proud of me. He was very happy for me, and he just told me that I played unbelievable. Like I said before, I feel very privileged to play with him because he's a superstar, very unselfish, and gave me the opportunity to play my best basketball at the right moment. I'm just happy.Q. Talk about winning again and talk about your friend Tony Parker winning the MVP.
MANU GINOBILI: Well, I think it's well‑deserved. The way he played in all four games was just unbelievable. He really showed us the way, especially in some games where TD and me were not playing that good. He kind of maintained the rhythm and made some big buckets, and he was just a presence inside the court. As I said before, it's really well‑deserved.
Q. In the fourth quarter after the very slow start in the quarter, was this one of the moments when you took it upon yourself to start making things happen for the Spurs?
MANU GINOBILI: Yes, I knew I was not going to play like Game 3. I thought a lot about it, and I was determined to be more aggressive and try to make it to the rim more often.
Then I got kind of satisfied with taking shots and stopped being as aggressive as before. But overall, I felt way, way better than the previous game, I think, and everybody did, too.
Q. Could you express some of your thoughts about the big plays that Fabricio made down the stretch, the rebounds and ‑‑
MANU GINOBILI: He was great. Those boards meant a lot, his and Tim's. Very, very important plays to have extra possessions, to have more time of possession, and then he made a couple of great buckets. Even the free throw was huge.
As I said before, I'm very proud of him. And besides that, I'm very happy for him because he's a hard worker and you always feel good when hard workers get rewarded.
Q. Just talk about your fourth quarter. You seemed determined that not only were you going to get to the basket, if you had an open shot you were going to take it, just your determination in that fourth quarter.
MANU GINOBILI: Of course I was feeling good and confident. As I said before, sometimes I settle too much for the outside shot. I should have driven more, but in the last couple minutes I started doing it better and made a big three, then a big lay‑up, so everything changed then.
But as I said before, I wasn't that happy because of not being as aggressive and taking too many outside shots.
Q. Can you just talk about the urgency of finishing them off and not letting them get one game to get the sweep?
MANU GINOBILI: Well, of course, it was huge. Every time you got an opportunity to finish a team, you've got to take it. You never have to think that if you don't win today, in three days you're going to have another one, and if not you go home. That is not good at all. We knew today we had a great opportunity, that if we kept the game close around to the fourth quarter, we were going to have a great chance, and that's what happened. We showed our experience in the last five minutes, we made great plays, good defensive possessions, so very, very happy for that.
Q. I know you were hurting last year after what happened at the end of the Dallas game. Does this make up for that, make you feel better, that you can finally put it behind you?
MANU GINOBILI: Yeah, yeah, of course. Every time you don't ‑‑ especially playing in a franchise like this, every time you don't finish with a win, you're going to feel upset. The same thing happened when we lost to the Lakers my second season, against the Mavericks last year, so there's only one team that's going to finish with a smile. It wasn't our turn last year, but we came up strong in this playoff series, and that's why we are so happy. But you're not going to win every year.
Q. For all this past week you didn't want to talk about winning a fourth ring. Will you now talk about what it means to be a part of one of the very special franchises in NBA history?
MANU GINOBILI: Of course you feel very proud and honored to be an important part of this franchise. I've been and I am so lucky of being chosen by the Spurs and having the opportunity to play my fifth season here, winning a third championship. It's just great. We know we are probably the best team the last ten, eight years, and it feels really good because it shows the hard work we've done, the way we played and other stuff, so it feels great.
Q. What is it about the poise on this team, the fact that you never get rattled, and no matter what happens you have a big run and you still come out on top? That no matter what happens in the game you find yourselves in the winning column?
MANU GINOBILI: I think that's mainly experience, because leading by ten going into the fourth quarter and seeing the other team make a run like that and going up two, I think it was, or even up three, I'm not sure, we kept our emotions down and we kept playing. We made a couple big plays. Once we were up three, four again, we knew it was going to be ours.
The experience today was a great advantage.
Finley: ... I came to a team that had experience, a team that welcomed me with open arms and we won it. So it's a good feeling.
Q: Growing up in Chicago and watching the Bulls win championships, is that what you thought this moment would feel like?
Finley: Oh, yeah. I've seen MJ win, Scottie win. I've been downtown in the parade. I always dreamed of being a part of it, whether it was with Chicago ... with any team ... just to be part of the celebration. It's a combination of all your hard work. I [saw] how hard MJ and Scottie worked in the offseason to then seeing them celebrate in the locker room. I always wanted to be a part of that and I finally am.
Q: Looking at how Dallas had two guys win the [regular season] MVP trophy, I'm sure you'd rather have your trophy ...
Finley: Yeah, I think so ... but they got the MVP trophy [and] it was very deserving. But those are two of my best friends -- Steve and Dirk -- and they congratulated me for getting to The Finals and I won't be surprised if they congratulated me today.
Q: Is this everything you dreamed it would be?
Finley: Oh yeah, it's a great feeling. It's that and then some. I always dreamed of being a champion, being in this locker room atmosphere, everybody celebrating ... words can't explain it.
Q: How emotional was it being presented the game ball by your teammates?
Finley: It's a great feeling. These guys are good guys. They dedicated this Finals to me [and] it just shows you what type of guys these are. For them to give me the game ball, they played the championship for me ... I mean, I'm blessed. What more can I ask for?
Q: What's in the future for Michael Finley?
Finley: I'm going to enjoy this. I'm going to party all the way until the end of Tony Parker's wedding. And then I might relax a little bit.
Robert Horry
Horry: The one thing I love about Pop [Coach Popovich] is that he treats everybody the same, he doesn’t carry grudges. A lot of coaches in the league now, they get mad and they carry it over to the next day, but Pop [Coach Popovich] will let it go and will laugh and joke and buy you dinner the next day. Pop’s great. He’s the best.
Q: After all the years Tony Parker struggled, he persevered and won the MVP trophy.
Horry: That’s the sign of a true champion. He’s been there before and showed that tonight. A lot of time you get knocked down and he’s the kind of guy that gets right back up.
Q: In this particular postseason you were really impressive rebounding and blocking shots. Can you talk about your contribution?
Horry: You just have to play team basketball and what ever opportunities are presented you just have to take care of it. I didn’t make a lot of shots this series, but you rebound, block shots, you do other things.
Q: What are you going to do with all those rings?
Horry: I’m going to put them in a little case and sit back and tell my kids “your Daddy did a couple of good things in the NBA a couple of years back.” I’m just going to enjoy the moment and see what happens after that. The thing about when you win championships you appreciate every moment and I can’t say enough about how much I appreciate this moment. I’m very blessed. I’ve been through a lot of hardships, a lot of trials and tribulations to get to this point and I’m just happy for it right now.
Q: This team does not do the spectacular they just do the routine and they never seem to falter.
Horry: You know it’s all about getting the job done. It’s not how you get the job done, you don’t need to be flashy, just get the job done. We don’t do a lot of flashy things. The only flashy guy we got is Manu [Ginobili]. Everybody else is just basic, but sometimes basic stuff gets the job done. We are a good team and that’s the most important thing.
Q: How does a 19-year-old kid [Tony Parker] come over from France and get three NBA titles and win MVP.
Horry: You have to thank two people Pop [Coach Popovich] and Tim [Duncan]. Pop is the best coach I ever played for and Tim [Duncan] is probably the best power forward I have ever played with. You have to give a lot of credit to those two guys. He [Tony Parker] always led the league with points in the paint and being only 6’2 he’s a great point guard. He is so quick and so crafty that it’s hard to stop him. He’s a great player.
Quotes from:
Fabricio Oberto
Q: When you were playing in Europe all those years, did you ever imagine that you would win an NBA Championship?
Oberto: Two years ago I was watching this on TV, The Finals when Manu Ginobili got the second one. Two years after, I’m just part of the team and the team just gives me a lot of love. I enjoy this moment a lot.
Q: How much easier is it having Manu Ginobili here?
Oberto: It’s great. It’s much easier with him. He was really great and a big help for me from the beginning. In the game the last moment, we can just see each other and make plays.
Q: Like that last one at the end?
Oberto: Yes, I thought he was looking like I’m going to throw the ball because you are going to get it. We play a lot of moments and just fight together and for me it was just great. The end of the fourth quarter, for me, might be one of my best quarters in all of my life.
Q: Was this bigger than the moment you won the Olympics?
Oberto: It’s different because that day you only have one shot and one game and I was injured so I had to enjoy a little bit from outside and I really feel proud of that. But, these four games and it was a long way, 16 games we had to get to the postseason and one by one we tried and we won and mostly because, and we showed tonight, that we were the best team with two wins here.
Q: How do you find that open spot?
Oberto: I just try to keep moving. hey are going to find you if you stay in one spot, so I just try to read and you know I just love basketball and I keep it going and playing basketball.
DAVID ROBINSON
Robinson: ... Incredible. Great response to sweeping The Finals. Unbelieveable.
Q: How does it feel to watch this new generation of Spurs win a championship?
Robinson: Oh, man. I love it. I love it because it takes such a long process to build up champions and now we have a championship mentality, we have a great organization, the management, bringing in phenomenal guys to fill in all the roles ... and our leaders are just phenomenal. I mean, Tony Parker was ridiculous this whole Playoffs.
Q: Talk about how you feel personally about this championship considering how close you've worked with this team.
Robinson: It's great. This is really a continuation of what I've been involved with from the beginning. Watching Timmy go from ... coming in here and not really wanting to be around the media to now being an incredible leader and probably one of the best leaders ever in the game. And to see this team really validated and see San Antonio really come on to an international spotlight like this ... [Inaudible]
An interview with:
COACH MIKE BROWN: You've got to give San Antonio credit. It's a hell of a team. They did everything they were supposed to do in order to win the basketball games, tonight and the three games before.
I thought throughout the course of the series, especially in the last two ballgames, we had our opportunities, the crowd was great, gave us extra energy that we needed. We just could never get over the hump. But a lot of that you've got to give credit to the Spurs.
Q. Congratulations on a great run. Two things: What did you learn as a coach on this run, and what did LeBron learn? How did he evolve during this experience?
COACH MIKE BROWN: Playing basketball this long is new for everybody in the locker room, I think, except for Eric Snow. So just waking up every day in the month of June and having to go lace them up and win ballgames is an experience in itself.
But on top of that, I think perseverance. I think we've been through some situations where we were expected to sweep Washington. It's still a good team. That was hard to do when you're young in terms of being young in the playoffs. Then we played against a veteran ballclub with basically three All‑Stars in New Jersey, and we had to win Game 6 on the road in a hostile environment after they had a huge run.
And then to play the Pistons and have to win four games in a row, you know, the experiences that we went through on this journey, they're invaluable, and they'll help us for the future.
Q. What does LeBron take from this, do you think?
COACH MIKE BROWN: More than anything, I think he takes perseverance and understanding. You've just got to keep staying with it, keep staying with it no matter what the score is, no matter what the series is. And eventually, if you understand that, like you said, no excuses and let's defend, we're going to give ourselves a chance.
Q. With LeBron, very uncharacteristic of him in this series, averaged about six turnovers a game and shot only about 33 percent. How much of that was their defense and how much of it do you think was he just ran out of gas?
COACH MIKE BROWN: You've got to give their defense credit. They did a nice job blitzing him at times, keeping two on him, and then at other times they just dropped him. You know, the changing defenses throughout the flow or course of the game was something that we as a team didn't adjust to very well. But he had some great looks and they didn't go in, and not just his jump shots, but we're talking about he had a few lay‑ups, I think, almost every game that normally go in, but for some reason they didn't.
Q. The fatigue?
COACH MIKE BROWN: It could be the fatigue. I mean, not only that, they're a great defensive team. You've got a guy like Tim Duncan at the rim with his length and his knowledge and understanding and all that stuff, through the course of the ballgame you think about a guy like that being there. If you think about it too long, maybe that might have something to do with it. But I think it's a combination of everything. I ran him a hell of a lot of minutes these playoffs. He's our guy, and he won plenty of games for us. We needed him to win a lot of games for us, and he did that. It could have been the fatigue factor a little bit, also.
Q. In all four games you fell behind by double digits in the second half. Is that something you cannot do in The Finals, particularly against this San Antonio team?
COACH MIKE BROWN: Yeah, I'd love to not do that again. It's a good team, and they had something to do with it. You know, I thought Games 1 and 2, we did not play our best basketball technically, nor when it came to effort. I thought Games 3 and 4 our effort was there, but sometimes it just wasn't enough. And when you go down double digits against a team like that, whew, it's going to be tough to come back.
Q. Could you please talk about Manu Ginobili's bounce back game tonight?
COACH MIKE BROWN: Manu was terrific. You know, he's got the heart of a lion. He's not a guy that when he gets hit that's going to stay down. He may get hit, he may fall for a few seconds, and then he's going to bounce back up and he's going to be on the attack. That's what happened with Game 3. He didn't have a great game. He knew that they needed him to step up in order to win, and he took on the challenge. He hit some tough shots for them tonight, especially down the stretch.
Q. You're up 63‑62 with just under six minutes to go, time‑out, they come out and they go on a 10‑2 or 12‑2 run or something like that. What happened at that point? Was it just the experience of the Spurs knowing that, okay, we can put them away here, and the inexperience of you guys? What went wrong?
COACH MIKE BROWN: We had a group on the floor that was defending, rebounding and scoring in that fourth quarter, and that's why I elected to stay with them. Probably ran out of a little bit of gas. That was part of it. But then another part of it was the Spurs' experience.
There were times throughout this series that I thought we did a hell of a job defensively for 19, 20, 21 seconds, and you talk about a group with poise, that group showed a lot of poise by making shots with two and three seconds on the shot clock. And not one time the entire series did they ever look rattled or panicked or frazzled at all. And when you have a team that moves the basketball like they do for that long into the shot clock and you're chasing because you've got to double with Tim, it wears on you, and you give up offensive rebounds and you give up late drives.
Q. Just to follow up on that, Tony Parker, MVP of this series, you had him way back when and he comes back to haunt you in this series. Can you just talk about his development and what he meant to this team in this series?
COACH MIKE BROWN: He was huge for them. You know, we had problems obviously stopping him from getting in the paint. Tonight it was more in transition than anything else. He did a solid job getting into the paint the first half with the pick‑and‑roll. We kind of figured it out the second half. But with his quickness, his ability to shoot that little push shot in, he shot the ball well the last couple of games.
When you add all those intangibles, you see the growth from year 1 when we were together until now. You add that to the poise and determination, you've got a very good basketball player and he caused us problems the whole series.
Q. What can you say about Coach Popovich, first fourth title, becomes the fifth coach to win four titles. What kind of impact has he had on his players, the Spurs and the city of San Antonio?
COACH MIKE BROWN: He is an impact. They have great players on the team. They have had great players come through the organization. But the one steady, you know, has been Pop. He doesn't get enough credit. He doesn't get enough credit for his Xs and Os. But more importantly, he doesn't get enough credit for his people skills. He's a tremendous teacher and a tremendous person, and he's the reason that that organization is where it's at.
Q. To follow up on a question a couple of moments ago, can you talk about how special ‑‑ I mean, this is a team that just beat you, about how special, how unique it is to have a team like this with that kind of poise, you got on a 14‑0 run, they never get rattled, they don't show any weaknesses? Can you talk about how special that is in a basketball team to have a team come out and do that night after night?
COACH MIKE BROWN: Well, you need that in order to win big games, especially big games on the road, and they showed that these last two games because our crowd was terrific, our guys did bring the effort and energy to the games. But their poise was something that helped them win the ballgame, especially down the stretch.
Our team showed that throughout the playoffs themselves. I thought there were plenty of times when we could have panicked throughout the course of some of our series when we didn't. You know, the direction that we're heading in as a group is something that I'm really excited about. I'm looking forward to seasons to come.
An interview with:
LEBRON JAMES
Q. What did you think of your performance individually in this series and what you learned from this series?
LEBRON JAMES: It definitely could have been better. It could have been better in order for us to win. You know, if I don't play well, our team is not going to have a good chance to win. You know, I've got a lot of things to work on to get better for next year.
Q. To follow up with that, I mean, what's the first thing? Prioritizing in terms of what you need to work on for next year.
LEBRON JAMES: There's no one thing that I want to focus on intensively, it's just everything. I need to definitely get better, and once I get better, our team will automatically get better, and I know that. I have to do everything that I've done well and try to improve in order for us to be a better team next year.
Q. I know you're disappointed right now, but at what point will you look back and say, hey, we did some good things and be happy with what you did here?
LEBRON JAMES: I'm not sure. You know, you're definitely disappointed. I'm not disappointed in our effort the last two games, not at all. I think we played well. We definitely just faced a better team in this series, simple as that.
Q. Can you just talk about how much you basically have carried this franchise, but you still need help; you can't do everything by yourself? What needs to be done maybe supporting cast‑wise, and did you feel heavy pressure during the series?
LEBRON JAMES: I really think the team we have now is good enough to win a championship, and I really stressed that from the beginning. It just shows we went up against a better team, simple as that. We went up against a better team in this series, and everybody has to be better coming into next season. I have to be ten times better. Our team has to be ten times better. As individuals, if we all put in the work this summer and come to training camp next year, our level automatically rises.
Q. Do you think maybe in the offseason you have to be aggressive with Danny in trying to get the right guys come in?
LEBRON JAMES: I'm just excited about what happened with our team this year. You know, we gave it all. We did what we said, made it to the championship, try to win the championship. We won the Eastern Conference Championship. We wanted to win the big thing, but when we look back on it, hopefully we can be satisfied, or not satisfied, but happy with what we have done.
Q. Can you just talk about your feelings when you saw the Spurs celebrating on your court and how much of a motivation will that be to have that be your team?
LEBRON JAMES: I didn't. I didn't want to turn around at all and look at it, but I've seen other teams win the title before, me watching on TV, so I know what they were doing. But I didn't turn around and look at it (smiling). I didn't want to look at it.
Q. For you, you said you're a no‑excuses team, but now that this series is over, this season is over, how much maybe was fatigue a factor for you, very uncharacteristic of you, 23 turnovers in the four games, shooting 33 percent. Now that it's over, was fatigue a factor?
LEBRON JAMES: I don't think so. I felt great throughout the whole season. Everyone at this point is ‑‑ everyone is injured at this point, everyone is a little fatigued. It's not an excuse. I definitely felt good coming into this series, and I think the defensive intensity and some of the things they did kept me off guard and kept the team off guard. The turnovers are uncharacteristic of what happened. It was a lot of unforced things, me losing the ball or me making bad passes. It's all things I can control, and I wasn't able to do that.
Q. What's the biggest thing that you'll take away from The Finals that will help you in the future?
LEBRON JAMES: We have to be better. Me, as an individual, I have to be much better on and off the court, and that will carry our team to higher levels. I think it starts with me first and then it will trickle down to everybody else.
Q. What did this team learn from this series?
LEBRON JAMES: I'm not sure. We haven't really talked about it. You know, we went up against a better team. We know the Spurs is definitely the better team in this series. They played like it. They never got rattled when we made runs. They never sped up. They played their own tempo, and they kept us off balance. I think we learned that as good as we thought we was, there was still a team out there that was better than us.
Q. I saw you entering the pressroom and exchanging some words with Tim Duncan. I was just wanting to know what you guys were talking about?
LEBRON JAMES: I was just basically congratulating him on a wonderful season, on his championship. He's definitely a great player and he has a great supporting cast around him. I think it's great. If I couldn't do it, why not Tim Duncan? He's definitely a very good player, and he definitely brings out the best in his teammates. I think I kind of want to do the same thing and try to do the same thing with my teammates, so we're kind of the same player, me in the perimeter, him in the post.
Q. I think I heard him say the league is going to be yours soon?
LEBRON JAMES: So why you ask me what he said? (Laughter).
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