Brian Mahoney

Giannis Antetokounmpo ended one of the greatest NBA Finals ever with 50 points, 4 rebounds and five blocked shots.

Players pledged to finish the postseason even as they wrestled with their emotions about wanting to bring change in their communities.

While players and teams from baseball, the WNBA, MLS and tennis sat out their competitions Wednesday night, NBA players and coaches met for nearly three hours in a Disney hotel to determine next steps.

Music blared and confetti fell, the only celebration LeBron James really wanted in Miami. Not that one two summers ago, the welcoming rally where he boasted of multiple titles. He dreamed of this moment, with teammates surrounding him and the NBA championship trophy beside him.

Mario Chalmers scored a rare basketball hat trick Thursday in Miami in the Heat's Game 5 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. An NBA champion in his fourth season as a pro, the 2005 Bartlett High grad now owns championships at all three levels of competition, a claim only a handful of men can make.

Kevin Durant keeps insisting these NBA Finals are Thunder against Heat, not him against LeBron James. So far, his side is winning both matchups.

NBA players rejected the league's latest offer Monday and began disbanding the union, likely jeopardizing the season.

The time for talk in the NBA is over. David Stern made that clear Thursday, saying the league is done negotiating. The next time he hears from the players' association, he expects an answer: Yes, players will accept the league's latest proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement, or no they won't.