Friends and family paraded up and down Eagle Pass' main thoroughfare sporting Tim Duncan Fatheads, Spurs flags, homemade posters and banners and generally just celebrating in our neck of the woods and basking in the glory of what this franchise has just accomplished.
Kawai Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs finished off a dominant run to their fifth NBA championship Sunday night to the strains of Foreigner's "Feels Like the First Time", ending the Miami Heat's two-year title reign with a 104-87 victory that wrapped up the series in five games. Leonard was named Finals MVP and became the third youngest player to win the Bill Russell Trophy.
It must have been surreal to be getting the trophy directly from Russell himself as his teammates mobbed him when he was called to the podium by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Leonard showed some rarely seen emotion as Patty Mills, Danny Green, Tiago Splitter and Boris Diaw rubbed his cornrows through his new NBA Championship cap.
Leonard had a double-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in his third double figure game in a row en route to this distinct honor.
Spurs Head Coach Greg Popovich jokingly said in the locker room, "Kawai thinks he won this thing by himself, but he knows we did this as a team and this is the most satisfying season from start to finish as I've seen in my entire coaching career. Remember this moment and remember who you did it with."
Popovich knew he and the Spurs had to wear teams down with precision ball movement and sound basketball after probably analyzing that eery Game 6 in last year's final which was undoubtedly the motivation for what could've very well been a sweep of the team which had made all four of the last four finals series winning two and losing two (To Texas teams no less) and possessing the best player on the planet.
Their unselfish play and the performance of role players like Mills, Green, Splitter, Marco Bellinelli and the amazing Emanuel Ginobili who definitely picked up the slack for a struggling Tony Parker who missed his first ten shots of the game.
But the night was definitely the elder statesman Tim Duncan winning his fifth world championship as he has been there for all five of the franchises victories.
As he carried his two children and held them close on what has to be the most special Father's Day of his life, he ponders whether this would be his last run in a Spurs uniform, but with this team poised to begin the trek which all started at training camp at the Air Force Academy, it seems as he will be there to help his team to go get six.
Whatever the case may be, the Silver & Black Attack fans of Eagle Pass and Maverick County will continue behind our team during the good times and the bad times and who knows, if this team stays together, as someone who knows basketball here in Eagle Pass says, 'You don't leave the Spurs," the parade will end at our very own Academy where official NBA Locker Room Gear will be sold after the 2015 Championship!