NBA Playoff Schedule 2017: How to Watch NBA Finals on TV and Live Stream
The 2017 NBA Finals will feature a tie-breaker championship matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. How will the Western Conference champions respond to blowing a 3-1 lead in the previous year?
The upcoming series will highlight individual and team legacies. For the first time in NBA history, two teams will square off for the Larry O'Brien Trophy for a third consecutive year. LeBron James will compete in his seventh straight league final. The Warriors can win their second title in three years.
Despite the fact most predicted this matchup in July, spectators should see high-quality basketball played among the best stars in the league. You'll witness arguably four of the top 15 players in action throughout a competitive series.
Viewing details via TV and live stream are listed below:
Game 1: Cleveland at Golden State, Thursday, June 1 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC
Game 2: Cleveland at Golden State, Sunday, June 4 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
Game 3: Golden State at Cleveland, Wednesday, June 7 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC
Game 4: Golden State at Cleveland, Friday, June 9 at 9 p.m. on ET ABC
*Game 5: Cleveland at Golden State, Monday, June 12 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC
*Game 6: Golden State at Cleveland, Thursday, June 15 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC
*Game 7: Cleveland at Golden State, Sunday, June 18 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
*Game will be played if necessary. All games available on WatchESPN app for streaming purposes.
LeBron James Chasing a Legacy Among All-Time Greats
We all know the greatest players needed help accomplishing astonishing feats, but the 2017 NBA Finals has put the spotlight directly on James' legacy. He's 3-4 in the championship round. For him, it's about adding as many rings as possible before retirement. Michael Jordan won six titles, Kobe Bryant won five rings and James could win his fourth within the next few weeks.
James can't erase the four NBA Finals losses on his record, but he's still in his prime and has become a fixture in June for almost a decade. The three-time champion increased his rebound and assist averages while leading the league in minutes played per game (37.4) during his 14th season. It's amazing to see the shape he's in without signs of wear and tear on his game.
As he inches closer to his fourth title, the comparisons to Jordan have reached a higher pitch. As someone who pays attention to the outside noise, he talked about himself in connection to his idol after Thursday's Game 5 victory over the Boston Celtics:
James passed Jordan in playoff points scored, per ESPN Stats & Info. On Fox Sports' The Undisputed, pundit Nick Wright took it a step further and made a strong case that the current star has surpassed the Hall of Famer on a macro level:
It's a bold statement considering James still has a series left to play this year. Though, at 32 years old, with multiple years left in the tank, James will hold a vast amount of statistical records. Once he retires, he'll be mentioned in the same breath as Bryant and Jordan.
Golden State Warriors Superteam Remaining Intact?
We saw countless memes poking fun at the Warriors for blowing a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals. Now, with Kevin Durant, who also seeks to avenge his loss to James in the 2012 postseason, Golden State sits four wins away from adding to its dominance.
The San Antonio Spurs have been the model franchise for nearly two decades. Gregg Popovich has led his team to the postseason every year since the 1996-97 season. The franchise has celebrated five NBA titles since the 1998-99 campaign.
With some homegrown talents and Draymond Green's recruiting skills to lure Durant, the Warriors have pushed the Spurs aside as the team to beat in the Western Conference.
With or without a title victory, Durant has already expressed interest in returning to the Warriors for the 2017-18 season. According to Spotrac, he has a player option built into his two-year deal that would allow him to opt out and become an unrestricted free agent, but he enjoys playing for his current team, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
"Yeah. I love it here. I love my teammates. I love the city [of Oakland, California]. I love the organization. I love it here. I don’t plan on going anywhere else," Durant said.
Earlier in the season, Stephen Curry talked about his contentment with the franchise, per San Jose Mercury News reporter Tim Kawakami:
"Like I’ve said from Day 1 when I was first asked about free agency, this is a perfect place to play. Bay Area fans are amazing, our organization’s amazing, we’ve put together an amazing team that’s competing for championships every year.There’s really no reason that I can see right now that would draw me elsewhere."
Klay Thompson and Green already have deals that extend well beyond the 2017-18 campaign, per Spotrac.
We could see the Cavaliers and Warriors compete in at least one or two more NBA Finals before another club in either conference upsets one of the two juggernauts.
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