Wednesday 3 June 2015 12:11, UK
LeBron James and Steph Curry are set to go toe-to-toe in the NBA Finals as either the Cleveland Cavaliers or Golden State Warriors will end their long wait for a championship.
After 2,460 regular season games, seven months of relentless competition and 14 play-off series, the 2015 NBA Finals have arrived.
The Cavaliers and Oakland-based Warriors were crowned the Eastern and Western Conference champions respectively. The two best teams with the two best players in the league are now set to battle on basketball’s biggest stage.
The only player to take the floor during the finals that knows what it takes to win a championship will be LeBron James. The Cavs hero-turned-villain-turned-hero will appear in his fifth consecutive NBA Finals and will be the first in NBA history to achieve the feat with two different teams.
What is becoming the norm for James will be a new experience for the Warriors players but they will rely on the experiences of a former five-time NBA champion and rookie head coach Steve Kerr.
Two unstoppable protagonists
As far as marquee match-ups go, it does not get more exciting than LeBron v Steph Curry, with the current top player in the game taking on the league's MVP.
James’ incredible skillset combined with his super-human athleticism and raw power makes him a relentless force. Curry, however, is equally unrelenting. After breaking his own record for the most three-point field goals scored during the regular season (283 threes in 82 games), the All-Star point guard shattered Reggie Miller‘s record for the most three-point field goals in the post-season – 73 in 15 games.
It’s not just Curry’s sharpshooting that has devastated teams. The son of former NBA player, Dell, has a high basketball IQ and sensational ball handling skills that make him exhilarating to watch. So how do you stop him? According to LeBron: “You can’t”.
There is more than their individual virtuosity that connects the talented pair. Both megastars were born in Akron, Ohio, at the same hospital.
Their paths to this point could not have been more different. James was destined for greatness from a young age. While Curry was an undersized, undervalued college recruit with a lot to prove.
Straight out of high school James was the first pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He led the Cavs to their first NBA Finals in 2007 only to lose to the San Antonio Spurs in four games. James endured another three years carrying sub-par Cavs rosters before deciding to abandon his home state in search for glory.
In July 2010, live on national TV, James announced he would be “taking my talents to South Beach”. Outrage ensued. This infuriated the city that nurtured, supported and placed their hopes for success on him.
After the announcement, LeBron jerseys were burnt and so seemed the bridges James had with Cleveland. There seemed to be no way back for King James after he abandoned his roots.
Yet the four-time MVP decided to return home. James declared, “what’s most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio.” He forgave the fans, the fans forgave him and now James, his team-mates and Cleveland are four wins away from breaking the Cleveland sports curse.
Standing in their way is an equally hungry Warriors team led by the league MVP, Curry. Prior to the playoffs we wrote about the rise of Curry and his backcourt team-mate Klay Thompson from underrated college recruits to record-breaking All-Stars. Curry has continued to break records in the post-season.
Provided Curry and James face each other in the finals, Curry will be the first player in NBA history to face every other member of the All-NBA first-team (equivalent to the Premier League’s team of the year) in a single post-season.
Rookie head coaches
Not since the NBA’s inaugural season in 1946-47 have two rookie head coaches faced each other in the finals.
David Blatt and Steve Kerr share very different paths but very similar philosophies. Blatt has been coaching for over 20 years in Europe and the Middle East, while Kerr was a former player, general manager and broadcaster. When the Warriors hired the former five-time NBA champion last year as head coach, Kerr interviewed Blatt for a position as his assistant.
They instantly clicked and Blatt was offered the job, which he verbally accepted. Cleveland, however, requested to interview Blatt for the head coach’s position and Kerr encouraged him to speak to the Cavs. Almost 12 months on from their meeting, Blatt and Kerr will sit opposite each other once again.
Starved for Success
The Warriors have had to endure a long wait for a championship. ''The Bay Area's been waiting for 40 years,'' Curry exclaimed after defeating the Rockets to reach the NBA Finals, ''I think it's time.''
Cleveland on the other hand have never won a NBA title. Their city’s sports teams have had a combined 156-season drought without a championship. The Cavs are now four wins away from ending that and James admits he has some “unfinished business.”
