Philippe was a high-wire artist who famously strolled across a razor-thin wire stretched between the Twin Towers in New York City on August 7, 1974. Had Petit imperfectly shifted an ounce of his weight one direction or the other, and he would have most certainly plummeted the 1,350-feet to an untimely death. He knew the risks. But he also knew the reward. Petit well understood the requirements to get the job done. It took tools, talent, and iron-clad guts to do what he did. But more than anything, it took balance.
The Portland Trail Blazers and the San Antonio Spurs find themselves in a similar situation.