Fighting spirit

BY: JEROME C. VARON

THE SMOKE of battle has settled down. The Los Angeles Lakers has won the NBA championship after 10 years of drought. Everyone in the team basked in glory and pride

For LeBron James and company, the win in the sixth game of the finals series was the culmination of all the hard work for the season, going through the gauntlets of the grueling encounters against the rest of the teams of the league. They deserved the prize, definitely.

In the background was the Miami Heat, the beaten and vanquished second best NBA team of this season. A ragtag team dubbed as a longshot to gain the finals slot at the start of the quarterfinals, Jimmy Butler and company fought tooth and nail against the more favored opponents to surprisingly arrange a showdown with the Lakers. And when the best of seven finals series started, many predicted they will be swept like dust under the rug by a team which already collected 16 championship trophies in its illustrious NBA history.

But the Heat proved something else instead of going through the motion of dying in the arena against a bigger and stronger gladiator. The 4-0 sweep did not materialize. Graciously exiting after Game 6, the Heat were contented with being second best to the champions, knowing everyone tried their best with their “last ounce of courage”. They knew too well it was an impossible dream they were trying to reach.

Coach Eric Spoelstra and the rest of the team have nothing to be ashamed of. Just like the Lakers, they deserve to become champions in the eyes of the world.

In sports and in life, the adage “it’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game” holds true. While it’s true that we only remember the champions or the winners in every contest, spectators admire and appreciate the way some losers fought.

It is during moments of humiliation when the indomitable spirit persists. In contests when the results are forgone conclusions (as noted by majority of observers of the just concluded NBA finals series), the handicapped participant just go with the motion to be in the game, wounded, bruised and tired until the final strength has been drained. There’s always the willingness of the spirit but the flesh has its limits.

Some years ago, Oscar De La Hoya, the Golden Boy of professional boxing, came out of retirement to challenge Manny Pacquiao, the toast of the world of “sweet science” at the time. He wanted to prove he still had enough of what’s needed to defeat a surging pugilist from Asia who had annihilated every Mexican he came face to face with in the ring.

From the opening round until the early part of the second half of the 12-round contest, De La Hoya absorbed punishments thrown by the Filipino from every angle. He then realized it was futile to continue. He finally decided not to continue and yielded the contest to his opponent.

Ordinary mortals could not swallow surrendering to an opponent, even when defeat is certain. Not for Oscar. He had the courage to accept and recognize he was in for an idiotic quest against a more superior opponent.

For that gesture, Oscar De La Hoya preserved his dignity, endearing him to millions around the world. He knew his time was ups and it was time to hang his gloves, permanently.

For there comes a time in life when we relish the many battles we have fought along the way. If we play squarely and fairly, whatever the result, we can beam with pride for we played according to the rules.

Then, we can declare in our twilight years that we faced the challenge, finished the race and kept our faith with a willing and fighting spirit./PN