Kevin Durant Can’t Win in These NBA Finals with Fans or Media

Beaten a year ago by Cleveland’s historic comeback, the Warriors will try to avenge that defeat and get back on top when they face the Cavaliers again, the first time two teams have met three straight times in the NBA Finals.

Since then, though, Durant has spent five years waiting to get back to this point, enduring one playoff disappointment after another in Oklahoma City – including season-ending injuries to himself and co-star Russell Westbrook in two seasons, and losses to the Warriors and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals in two others.

“I’ve had a week off”, Thompson said. History can be kind to you; it also can beat you up. Just like that, the 52-year championship drought ended and James fulfilled his long awaited promise to bring a championship back to his hometown.

Brown said he’s discussed the situation with his sons, Elijah and Cameron. “You don’t care who you’ve got to take down, you just want to take whoever that is down”.

Steve Kerr looks better than he has since he took a leave of absence during the Golden State Warriors’ first-round playoff series, and there’s a chance he coaches at some point against the?

“Obviously not really dealing with any bumps or bruises really besides this elbow that’s not really a factor”, Curry said. And I think you’re going to see these things have a way of working themselves out over time. They have the best team!

“You have to learn from it”. Stephen Curry is back to his MVP form from past year and Klay Thompson, while not as accurate with his three-point shooting, continues to offer solid two-way play.LeBron James is in his 14th National Basketball Association season and getting ready to make his seventh straight Finals appearance when Game 1 against the Warriors kicks off on Thursday night.This shouldn’t surprise.

Because we’re going to do the same stuff. Us in the sports world got exactly what we wanted, James and the Cavs against Curry and the Warriors for the National Basketball Association championship.

“I feel very good about our chances”. The Cavs completed last year’s comeback in the finals by winning both Game 5 and Game 7 at Oracle Arena, where the Warriors hadn’t lost two straight games all season. Do we need to deal with all that?

And familiarity has most assuredly bred contempt as well as respect on both sides.

I don’t know. Ultimately I don’t think I can worry about that. Less than a month earlier, the Cavs were victorious against the Warriors in Cleveland.

“I will say, and I heard Kevin Durant say something like this the other day, I think it’s a little unfair to him to blame him for the lack of so-called “competitive balance” at the moment in the league”. The Warriors also finished the 2016-17 season with the best regular season ever finishing 73-9, eclipsing the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ 72-10 record. And we have a great draft class coming up next year. We will use it as motivation, but the idea of playing into it?

Cleveland’s desire to defend the title is mighty as well and they know the opener is crucial.

We will all have to wait and see how this series unfolds to find out. “I’m sure come tip-off tomorrow, when I’m looking at those guys in that uniform, it will feel even more that way, but right now just kind of taking everything in stride”.

“It’s exciting”, Cavaliers forward Kevin Love said during the NBA’s Wednesday media gathering. “But the quicker you settle into your surroundings, the better you’ll be”.