Loser: Nobody else
There are no more losers. Yes, I could pull up the corpses that are LA Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks fans right now but to be honest, this was just a good Finals series. Jimmy Butler had some incredible moments, vaulting himself into another level of superstardom and the Heat franchise is sure to benefit tremendously from it in a free agency sense.
Their young players are rookies have now gone further in the playoffs than some NBA veterans ever have or will. I always think back to Greg Monroe who didn’t reach the playoffs until six years into his career and even then, it was a first-round exit and his following two years in the playoffs saw him in a minimized role.
The Heat is taking away some valuable experience and fame from this run. I doubt this is the last time we talk about Miami in the Finals for a long time. And of course, you can’t count out the Lakers and their title defense for next season.