The moment we had been waiting for was finally here. Orlando vs. Miami. The two-time defending champions. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. This was our chance to prove we were legit—not just a Cinderella story.
They had home-court advantage, but that didn't scare us. We were locked in and ready for battle.
-Game 1
The Heat came out playing fast and aggressive. LeBron set the tone early, hitting a tough fadeaway over me, then coming down and blocking my shot at the rim.
LeBron tells me. "Not tonight."
I responded with a powerful and-1 dunk over Chris Bosh, but Miami's experience showed.
Dwyane Wade torched us in the mid-range, finishing with 27 points. LeBron? He put up a near triple-double 29 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists.
I had 28 points, 12 rebounds, but we couldn't keep up in the fourth quarter. They have three all stars I'm alone.
Miami took Game 1, and I knew we had to adjust fast.
-Game 2
Coach made it clear before tip-off:
Coach: "We're here to win."
I came out aggressive, attacking Bosh early and drawing fouls. By halftime, I had 15 points and 8 rebounds, but the game was tight.
The turning point? Our defense on Wade. Victor Oladipo hounded him all night, forcing him into bad shots.
Late in the fourth quarter, Miami was up 93-91. That's when I took over.
Step-back three over Bosh?
Bang.Spin move dunk over Udonis Haslem? Crowd silent.
Putback off a missed shot? Game over.
I finished with 32 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists. Series tied 1-1.
-Game 3
Back in Orlando, the Amway Center was rocking.
I felt unstoppable. First quarter alone, I had 10 points and 5 rebounds. LeBron was trying to slow me down, but every time he stepped up, I attacked harder.
Miami's defense collapsed on me, so I started feeding. Tobias found me in the post, I kicked it out to Arron Afflalo for a corner three.
We controlled the pace all night.
Me, 33 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists and Vucevic: 18 points, 11 rebounds.
LeBron had 33 points, but the rest of Miami struggled. We took Game 3.
-Game 4
LeBron wasn't about to let us go up 3-1.
He dominated from the jump—hitting deep threes, driving past defenders, finishing through contact.
By the third quarter, he had 35 points and was talking trash. "You can't go through me."
I wasn't backing down—I finished with 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists, but the Heat...
LeBron ended with 44 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists. It was his night.
Series tied 2-2 heading back to Miami.
-Game 5
Miami led most of the way, but we never folded. Every time they tried to pull away, we answered.
-Last 30 seconds
Miami up 106-105. I set a screen for Jameer Nelson, rolled to the basket. He lobbed it perfectly—I threw it down over Bosh, he must be so tired of going through this.
106-107, Magic lead.
-Final possession
LeBron had the ball. Clock winding down.
He drove left, pulled up from mid-range…
I blocked it.
The buzzer sounded. Game over.
We had won Game 5 in Miami. We were one win away from the Finals.
-Game 6
The crowd was deafening as we took the floor.
I was in my zone. From the start.
I had 10 points in the first quarter, hitting a step-back three over Bosh and staring him down.
Wade tried to rally Miami, but our defense was relentless.
By the fourth quarter, we were up 15. I could feel it—it was happening.
Miami made a late push, but I sealed the game with a fadeaway over LeBron.
My final stats, 34 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks. LeBron James, 29 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists.
The buzzer sounded.
We had done it, and too bad I don't win any MVP conference final trophies that didn't exist yet.
But we are going to the final.
-Postgame
It was different than usual LeBron congratulated me, but you feel he just wanted to leave, i understand i am also a competitor.
We had taken down the defending champions.
Next up? The San Antonio Spurs.
The team that beat us the most during the season.
And now, I had to go through them to win my first championship.
The next day...
A Moment of Peace, sitting on my couch, I watched the highlights from our series against Miami. The sound of the commentators filled the living room as my dad nodded in approval.
"You really took it to them, Son" he said, arms crossed. "LeBron, Wade, Bosh—those are champions. And you sent them home."
My mom, sitting next to me, gave me a concerned look. "Just don't let it get to your head, Franklin."
"I know, Mom" I reassured her. "I'm locked in."
Vic leaned back, stretching his arms. "Man, you're about to play in the Finals. That's wild."
"Yeah, and now I gotta finish the job." I said, grabbing a bottle of water.
That night, we had dinner together.
"So, how are you feeling about the Finals?" Cee-Cee asked, resting her chin on her hand.
I shrugged. "Excited. Focused. I've been preparing for this my whole life."
My dad pointed at me with his fork. "Good. Stay hungry. You're proving a lot of people wrong."
Vic chuckled. "Pres, the whole city's behind you. It's crazy out there. Billboards, Lincoln 7 jerseys everywhere. You're the face of Orlando now."
I smiled. "But I can't get caught up in all that now."
As dinner wrapped up, my mom placed her hand on mine. "No matter what happens, we're proud of you."
I nodded. "Appreciate that, Mom. But I ain't done yet."
After dinner, I stepped out onto my balcony, looking out at the city skyline. Orlando had embraced me, but I knew this was just the beginning.
The NBA Finals were on the horizon.
Four more wins. One last challenge.
I could have the greatest season possible for a rookie, but I shouldn't think about it too much.
We'll see how it goes.