Lightning shine in perfectly imperfect season

A shortened NBLC season — the first action in over 700 days — had a bit of everything, writes columnist Jason Winders. And it was all welcome. It meant the return of hoops — and some normalcy — to the Forest City.

The Lightning celebrate their 2022 NBLC title Wednesday night at the Kitchener Auditorium. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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Nobody roots for Goliath.

Then again, the Philistine big man never had the kind of year the London Lightning just had.

An historically dominant season that started in The Aud on Family Day concluded there Wednesday night as the Lightning parked the #DriveForFive with a 97-96 win over the KW Titans. The victory swept the shorthanded longshots out of the NBL Canada Finals 3-0.

Looks like you’re gonna need a bigger pebble next time, David.

Let’s be honest, this title has been a foregone conclusion from the regular season’s opening tipoff – maybe even before. Lightning GM Mark Frijia and Plumb constructed a talented roster, easily the deepest in the league, running eight or nine players in the best of times.

The team came into the season with attitude – men robbed from a rightful coronation 712 days earlier. You’ll remember that the 2019-20 Lightning were 15-9, leading the Central Division by a game and a half, and ready to take off when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the league – and the world.

That fact was not forgotten.

Along with Plumb at the helm, only Cameron Forte, Mareik Isom, Abednego Lufile, and Jaylon Tate remain from that roster. But that didn’t matter for this squad, as the unfinished business was always less about the names on the back of the jerseys as it was about the name on the front.

After rocketing off to an 11-0 start, the team finished 20-4 in regular season play (tops in the league), 6-0 in the playoffs, with a perfect home record (12-0, 4-0) in both the regular and postseason. They boasted the Canadian Player of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year (same guy), and Coach of the Year, along with three NBL Canada All-stars – and now the NBL Canada Finals MVP (again, same guy).

Terry Thomas hoists the NBLC Finals MVP trophy. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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While we were treated to a little Lightning Devil Magic this season, even wire-to-wire runs have tangles along the way. Injuries, incidents, and lots of attitude frayed knees and nerves to varying degrees all year. The team had trouble tempering their emptions at times, a trait that gave away lots of free points and sent a point guard packing for a third of the regular season. There were games when this group looked less like a team and more an assemblage of incredible, if individual, talent.

Take the final game. It was a perfect microcosm of the season, featuring a turbulent mix of dominating, confounding, frustrating, and ultimately victorious performances.

But it didn’t matter because talent under the hand of a strong leader usually prevails.

That’s why you always take Goliath and give the points.

At times, this was as dominating a team as Title Town, Canada, fans have seen in this city. Not just on the court. But on the ice. On the diamond. Anywhere.

Through it all, this team didn’t get the chance to live up to what it could have been, only what it was allowed to be. The COVID-19 pandemic robbed us of a lot – much of it too tragic to rehash. But on this night, I could not help but think of what this team could have been over a 40-game season, against more than four league opponents. What greatness were we denied? A lot.

But what could have been doesn’t matter. In the end, this team, like this league, and this season, was perfect in its imperfections, a bit like us all emerging from the last few years.

This season should be remembered for the amazing job by league officials, owners and staff, coaches and players, event staff, and fans to keep this league operating after nearly two years of no games. Sadly, we are seeing there are not a lot of businesses – let alone sports leagues – that could survive that kind of blow. The courage and creativity that went into making this season happen is incredible.

Even though we knew how this story had to end, every page provided something new, if not always welcomed. But injuries heal, emotions temper, memories fade, feelings mend – and banners, well, they hang forever.