The last time Oklahoma City Thunder center Nazr Mohammed went to the NBA Finals was with the San
Antonio Spurs back in 2005. Even though his role has changed since then, he’s still looking forward to playing for another ring.
“It’s a great feeling,” Mohammed said. “You go through so many seasons of not getting here and you didn’t have a chance to get here, so to actually get back and have an opportunity to get another championship, it’s something that you cherish and you don’t want to waste the opportunity.
Even at an early age, I understood how hard it was to get here and how important it is just as far as having a career to get here and have a chance to win.”
Mohammed only logged five minutes in the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs, and since the Heat aren’t stacked down low, it will probably be the same in the next series. However, guys get injured and role players like Mohammed have to step up, so he has to be ready to go at any time.
Mohammed’s experience with the Spurs will undoubtedly come in handy in the Finals. He’s on a very young team with hardly any championship familiarity outside of Derek Fisher, Kendrick Perkins and Nazr, so his veteran leadership could be invaluable. Mohammed remembers how tough it was to win against the Pistons seven years ago. He’ll surely pass that along to his teammates in what should be a grueling matchup with the Heat.
