Blake had been called the "Monster Rookie," "The Emperor," the "Sun God," and the "Superhero." Winning a championship as a rookie would carry enormous weight, and his individual presence had become overwhelming.
So when he was suddenly unable to play or lead the Suns to the title, countless fans felt for him and for a team that had once seemed to have the championship trophy within its grasp.
But Blake wasn't the only one desperate to become a champion.
Veterans Steve Nash and Vince Carter wanted that ring just as badly as anyone else on the Suns.
"Captain Canada" Steve Nash.
Four-time assists leader, back-to-back regular-season MVP, seven-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA First Team selection, and two-time All-NBA Second Team selection.
As one of the defining players from the legendary 1996 draft class, Nash had accumulated countless honors over his 15-year career.
And precisely because his résumé was already so decorated, there was one thing still missing to complete it.
A championship ring.
Nash wanted it desperately.
Now that ring was within reach.
How could he possibly give up?
"Half Man, Half Amazing" Vince Carter.
Rookie of the Year, eight-time All-Star, one All-NBA First Team selection, one Second Team selection, and one Third Team selection.
Those were Carter's major accomplishments over his 13-year career.
"Iverson in the East, Kobe in the West, McGrady in the South, Carter in the North!"
"Half Man, Half Amazing" Vince Carter had once stood alongside Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Tracy McGrady as one of the league's celebrated "Four Great Shooting Guards."
"The Answer" Allen Iverson.
In 2001, he carried his team to the Finals as its lone superstar. Eleven-time All-Star, one regular-season MVP, two All-Star Game MVPs, three-time steals leader, and four-time scoring champion!
"Black Mamba" Kobe Bryant.
Thirteen-time All-Star, one regular-season MVP, two-time scoring champion, two Finals MVPs, three All-Star Game MVPs, and five championship rings!
"T-Mac" Tracy McGrady.
Seven-time All-Star, Most Improved Player, two-time scoring champion, part of the 22-game winning streak alongside Yao Ming, and creator of the legendary 13 points in 35 seconds.
Set aside their All-NBA selections and All-Star appearances.
Compared with the other three members of the "Four Great Shooting Guards," Carter simply didn't have the same collection of major accomplishments.
Of the four, his résumé was clearly the weakest.
And yet, at his peak, Carter had led All-Star voting four times.
His popularity had been unmatched.
The fans loved him.
But the team success never quite followed.
That had always bothered Carter.
He wanted a championship ring just as badly, both to prove himself and to make sure his career wouldn't end with that one glaring regret.
Now the opportunity was right in front of him.
How could he give it up?
How could he possibly stop fighting now?
He had to do everything he could to seize it.
"Vince, we have to hold on until Blake gets back. The young guys can lose their composure, but we can't.
"This year might be the closest we ever get to a championship.
"We can't give up. We have to fight until the very end."
During the timeout, Nash found Carter and spoke with complete seriousness.
Carter said nothing.
He simply nodded firmly.
The two veterans looked at each other, and the same fierce determination burned in both of them.
A hunger for victory.
A hunger for a championship.
"Beep! Beep!"
The timeout ended.
Play resumed.
The atmosphere inside the Suns' home arena was suffocating.
With no sign of Blake returning and their hopes of winning fading fast, the Suns fans were struggling to keep it together.
To come this close to a championship, only to watch it slip away because Blake had been injured, was almost impossible to accept.
And as the Heat gradually increased their lead, it became even harder to watch.
On the court, rookies like Curry and George were losing their fighting spirit too.
More than anything, their confidence was gone.
Without Blake, they couldn't see a path to victory.
It felt as though the Suns' entire world had collapsed.
They were trapped.
And this time, it might truly be the end.
But "Captain Canada" Steve Nash and "Half Man, Half Amazing" Vince Carter, who had replaced Blake in the lineup, still refused to give up.
They couldn't give up.
So over the next several minutes, everyone saw exactly how far those two veterans were willing to go.
"Bang!"
"Thud!"
The 37-year-old Nash was sent crashing to the floor by Wade.
On the very next possession, he got back up and guarded Wade again.
With his slight frame, Nash threw himself into the matchup, fighting Wade with everything he had.
He knew he couldn't truly stop "Flash" Wade.
That didn't matter.
If he could bother him even a little, Nash would keep fighting.
He dove to the floor for loose balls.
He threw himself out of bounds chasing possessions.
As long as there was even the slightest chance to save the ball, he went after it.
Even if all he gained was a possession with only a few seconds left on the shot clock.
Even if he knew his teammates might miss anyway.
Nash still used every ounce of his playmaking ability, doing everything possible to put his teammates in the best positions to score.
Carter was doing the same.
At 34 years old, with injuries having already taken so much from his body, he was guarding LeBron James, the league's premier small forward and a player famous for his overwhelming physical power.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Every time LeBron barreled into him like a tank, Carter puffed out his cheeks and gasped for air.
It almost looked as if the sheer force of LeBron's drives was knocking the breath out of him.
But Carter didn't care.
As long as LeBron couldn't knock him down completely, Carter kept throwing his body into the matchup like a man possessed.
Until he committed a foul.
Until LeBron was stopped.
Carter wouldn't back down.
And on offense, despite dragging around a body already worn down by years of injuries, he forced himself to attack as if he were still in his prime.
Again and again, he drove to the basket.
Again and again, he challenged the Heat Big Three.
He didn't care how many shots he actually made.
If he could draw even one foul, or simply burn a little more time before Blake returned, that was enough.
"Wow!"
In the stands, Wall stared in disbelief.
"They're fighting like crazy. Nash and Carter are giving everything they have! I've never seen two veterans push themselves this hard!"
Kobe narrowed his eyes.
"That's what wanting a championship looks like."
Yao Ming watched with a pained expression.
Yi Jianlian felt just as helpless.
Because no matter how desperately Nash and Carter fought, the gap was still slowly growing.
And the clock was still ticking.
With 1:25 remaining, the Heat Big Three had stretched what had once been a two-point lead into a nine-point advantage.
For the Suns, the situation had become almost impossible to salvage.
"Beep! Beep!"
Gentry called timeout.
Was he conceding the game?
No.
Because at the exact moment he called it, a player wearing number 0 appeared in the arena tunnel.
Blake.
"What?!"
Yi Jianlian shot to his feet.
"Blake's back! He actually came back! Is he really going to lead the Suns to a comeback?!"
Yao Ming, however, could only sigh.
"One minute and twenty-five seconds. Down nine.
"And Nash and Carter have both fouled out.
"From this position...
"Coming back is going to be incredibly difficult."
Wall immediately lit up.
"Blake's back! The Suns still have a chance!"
But Kobe shook his head.
"Blake may have returned like a king...
"But by the time he got back, there was almost no one left to fight beside him."