Kevin Durant, LeBron James Discuss 4th Straight Warriors-Cavaliers NBA Finals
Kevin Durant and LeBron James both offered direct responses Wednesday when asked if they thought a fourth straight NBA Finals matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors was bad for the league.
"I think it's great," Durant told reporters at media day. "... You just get a great set of players on the court. I mean, it may not be as suspenseful as a lot of people may want it to be or as drama-filled, but that's what you've got movies and music for. I think this is a great display of basketball on the court from both sides, and if you're a real lover of the game, you can enjoy how both teams play."
James later said that until teams can prove capable of dethroning the Cavaliers and Warriors in their respective conferences, there shouldn't be gripes about a lack of parity.
"Teams have had their opportunities to beat the Cavs over the last four years and teams have had the opportunities to beat the Warriors over the last four years," he said. "If you want to see somebody else in the postseason, then you got to beat them. Or in the Finals, in that case."
Finals fatigue may be settling in among certain groups of fans, but the numbers suggest intrigue should remain as high as ever when the action tips off Thursday night at Oracle Arena.
First and foremost, last year's Finals was the most-watched since 1998 and averaged a massive 20.4 million viewers across five games.
More recently, both Game 7s in the conference finals drew huge numbers. According to NBA.com, the Warriors' Game 7 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday was the second-most watched NBA game in cable TV history when it peaked at 18 million viewers.
One night earlier, the Cavs' Game 7 triumph versus the Boston Celtics averaged 13.3 million viewers on ESPN and earned a 9.1 rating in metered-market households, making it the network's highest-rated playoff game.
The Warriors are currently listed as an overwhelming -960 favorite (bet $960 to win $100) to defeat the Cavaliers and capture their third title in four years, according to OddsShark.
