If you look back on every team that won the NBA Finals, you can always point out multiple ways that players and coaches rose to the occasion. This includes star players reaching previously unseen heights, role players making significantly increased contributions, fringe rotation guys stepping up with a surprising game or three, and coaches making bold tactical adjustments to exploit opponent weaknesses.

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Mark Russell Pereira

Mark Russell Pereira (@Mark_R_Pereira) is a Denver-based attorney who only respects NBA coaches with JD degrees. Hailing from rural Western New York, the first basketball game Mark ever saw was Game 3 of the '97 Finals, upon which he thought the Utah Jazz won the entire championship (and wasn't corrected for an entire year). Mark's son Donovan may or may not be named after Donovan Mitchell. Mark is most active at Bluesky, but still posts occasionally on X as well.

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