Hostilities will start June 1 between the Golden State Warriors and defending titlist Cleveland Cavaliers with the Warriors playing host. What's set to transpire is chapter three of an epic showdown that started during Season 2014-2015, which the GSW won. King James and the Cavs avenged their loss last year and intend to repeat for the NBA 2017 Finals.
To watch the slugfest, NBA fans in the United States can tune in to ABC for the Finals coverage broadcast that will start at 9 PM Eastern Time. Cable options are also available and the chief destination is ESPN, which can also be accessed through online streaming.
For the rest of the world, the feed from ESPN is again the source to rely on and it will be available on desktop computers, on app for mobile users and on most affiliated cable services offered in many countries.
So what to expect? Nothing short of grand as the two contesting teams have taken on the quest to both write and possibly revise history. In the case of LeBron James, the chief motivation is to improve his legacy and be in the elite league of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
To be sure, it's not mission impossible for King James as according to Bleacher Report the 32-year-old superstar still has many years of him. Eclipsing the feats written before by Jordan with the Chicago Bulls and by Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers is just a matter of time for King James.
In the next few years, James will surely get past the statistics registered under Jordan and Bryant but foremost concern for the heart and soul of the Cavaliers is to kiss the Larry O'Brien Trophy a fourth time. In seven NBA Finals appearance, James only managed three successful finishes and it's imperative to make four this Season 2016-17 if only to erase the bad memories embedded with the four frustrations.
The Bleacher Report said King James is destined play in more NBA Finals to come, possibly still tussling with the GSW crew. While the outcome of those future duels will not be known ahead of time, it's fairly confirmed that NBA history will be more than kind to LeBron James as the report predicted that the player will be a Legend in the same mold of Jordan and Bryant, perhaps even better.
And if James will want to grey out unfavorable history, so are the GSW. Returning to the Finals this 2017, the Warriors remain haunted by the humiliation of collapsing after erecting a 3-1 lead in the 2016 Finals Series. The thought of losing again to the Cavs has to be sufficient for the two-time NBA champs to prevent another meltdown.
The Warriors are a better team now - the core superstars, led by two-time MVP Stephen Curry, remain solid with the likes of Draymond Green and Klay Thompson all assured of job security for next season. Even Kevin Durant has expressed his preference to stay in Oakland and possibly earn as many championship rings that time and opportunities will permit.
As mentioned, there will be NBA Finals to come that likely will star both the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers but the showdowns that matter right now have been spread in the next three weeks and the schedules are found below, courtesy of CBS Sports:
- Game 2: Sunday, June 4 at Golden State, 8:00 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 3: Wednesday, June 7 at Cleveland, 9:00 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 4: Friday, June 9 at Cleveland, 9:00 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 5: Monday, June 12 at Golden State, 9:00 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 6: Thursday, June 15 at Cleveland, 9:00 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 7: Sunday, June 18 at Golden State, 8:00 p.m. ET, ABC
