It’s been a long road but the NBA finals start on Thursday. We’re equipping you with everything you need to know about the Finals.
In the rest of the world of sports, David Letterman became his own opening monologue joke this weekend and cheerleaders may be on the horizon in Detroit.
Spirit fingers,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Five things to know about the NBA Finals
1. This year’s NBA Finals series is a repeat of last year’s match up. In 2015 the Golden State Warriors won the title. Is there a repeat on the horizon?
2. LeBron James (from Akron, Ohio) has vowed to break Cleveland’s curse and bring home a championship. None of the city’s professional teams have won a championship title since the Browns (NFL) won in 1964.
3. The Bay Area is the ninth market to have an NBA and NHL team in the finals in the same year. There’s never been a double title.
4. In a battle of the “old guys,” Golden State has an average age of 27.5 (eighth oldest in the league) and Cleveland is the second oldest team with an average age of 29.5. We know the teams’ superstars are above average but in this case it’s in the numbers - Steph Curry (Warriors) is 28-years-old and LeBron (Cavs) is 31.
5. The finals are going global as both teams have a makeup of over 25% international players.
- Game one is on Thursday night at 9 pm (EST) on ABC.
NBA (National Basketball Association)
- Trending. Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant will become a free agent on July 1st. He will be the biggest free agent this off-season, therefore it’s all anyone in the NBA will be talking about until he signs a new contract somewhere. Durant has spent his entire nine-year career with the Thunder.
NCAA Lacrosse (College)
- Tar Heel takeover. North Carolina Tar Heels reign supreme as both the Men and Women’s teams beat University of Maryland to win their respective national championships in lacrosse.
NHL (National Hockey League)
- Penguins dominate. The Pittsburgh Penguins won game one of the Stanley Cup Finals over San Jose Sharks. Game two is tonight at 8 pm (EST) on NBCSN.
Soccer
- Quick feet and thinking. Mexican international and Olympiacos F.C. striker Alan Pulido, was kidnapped in Ciudad Victoria on Saturday. He was able to take advantage of lack of supervision by his captors and after a scuffle, called police and was rescued.
Overtime
- Recently retired late night host David Letterman is an owner of a racing team in the IndyCar Series. He seems to be enjoying retirement. He was interviewed on SportsCenter during Indy weekend where he talked about boozing it up (referencing a near alcohol poisoning incident) and indicated that he might just be drunk right now during the interview. Bottoms up.
Sideline stat
- The Detroit Lions (NFL) are in the news for their off-season moves. No not in the locker room but because they’re considering adding cheerleaders to their pride. The Lions are one of six NFL teams without cheerleaders. (Others are Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers). No word yet on whether or not they actually have the spirit.
Coaches’ Corner
- If Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green receives one more flagrant foul, he will be suspended for one game during the finals. (You might remember Green’s graceful kick to the crown jewels of Thunder’s Steven Adams that earned him a fragrant foul). So what is a flagrant foul? The NBA defines it as unnecessary contact committed by a player against an opponent. If one player accumulates more than three fragrant fouls in the playoffs (Green is close), they will be suspended for one game. That's kicking them where it counts.
