Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James will contest his eighth straight NBA final when he meets the Golden State Warriors for the fourth time on Thursday in the most repeated non-stop title series.
Cavaliers and Warriors will meet for the fourth time in a row, but the difference between one and the other seems greater than ever. In Cleveland there is no longer Kyrie Irving, decisive in the Cavs championship two years ago with a triple in the final bars.
And James was not as lonely as he is now for almost a decade.
Especially if, as it seems, power forward Kevin Love is not available for the first meeting due to a concussion.
LeBron, in his 15th season as a professional, on the verge of the title for the ninth time at 33, has signed a playoffs only at the height of his legend, averaging 34 points, 9.2 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game.
Along the way, he only left out the Indiana Pacers (4-3), the Toronto Raptors (4-0) – the best team in the East in the regular season – and finally the Boston Celtics (4-3), later to overcome a 2-3 against last Sunday.
“I’m trying to squeeze this orange as much as possible until there is no more juice left,” he summed up after defeating the “Greens” in a titanic effort, without being able to rest for a second in the last two games. “This is the kind of thing that, when you are no longer playing games, you dream and wish to be part of it once more.”
– Historic comeback –
The Cavaliers will need new deeds from the “King” to have any chance of adding their second ring in four years, but the forecasts speak of an almost impossible mission.
With Love in cotton for the first game, supporters like George Hill, Tristan Thompson and JR Smith will have to shine with their own light to, at least, harbor some hope. All together.
During these playoffs, LeBron has missed too many times not only a luxury squire but also the rest of his teammates, light years from his level on the court.
“The bigger the stage, the bigger the player,” Cleveland manager Tyronn Lue said of him.
But Golden State is a challenge almost as unattainable as the one it was presented with in 2016, when it flipped a 1-3 finals against for the first time in history to end up lifting the first title in franchise history.
– By the dynasty –
The Warriors are not Indiana, one of the surprises of the season. Neither did the Raptors, who were swept away by the “King.” Not Boston, a team full of rising stars and without its two great early-season signings (Irving and Gordon Hayward) due to injury.
Those from the San Francisco Bay have Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green -four All-Stars in their ranks-, they have won two of the last three rings and land in the final after coming back 2-3 against the Houston Rockets without Andre Iguodala, whose participation is also doubtful in the last resort.
“People ask me: ‘Do you appreciate reaching the fourth final in a row?’ And I answer yes, because it is very difficult. So all the smiles and hugs with your teammates and your coaches are deserved, ”said Curry.
“It is exciting to have another chance and compete for the championship. We still have a series ahead of us and hopefully we will figure it out and get it done. I’m happy to be back, “said Kevin Durant.
After beating Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls’ record for regular season victories in 2016, with a record of 73-9 (to 72-10 for the Windy City), all comparisons place the Warriors at the height of the best squads of all time.
The statistics, with several of the best offensive records in history, are also on his side. But two rings are not enough to rub shoulders with the biggest. That is why Golden State is not satisfied and goes in search of the dynasty. Afp