The 2015 NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors begin on Thursday with Game. Tipoff is at 9 p.m. ET. Watch the live stream - or listen to the radio broadcast - below.
Golden State hasn't been to the NBA finals in 40 years, and none of the current roster has any experience playing for a title. First-year coach Steve Kerr, though, has five rings and plenty of wisdom to impart to his young team. One key piece of advice? Remember it's just a basketball game.
"But what I really found as a player was once you get out on the floor, you just start playing and everything returns to normal," Kerr told the Associated Press. "It's still just a basketball game. But you've got to get to that point and the best way to do that is to try to ignore the chaos as much as you can."
Golden State needed five games to defeat the Houston Rockets and to advance to the championship. Warriors guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both are expected to be ready to go for Game 1 after suffering injuries in the previous round. Thompson, who suffered a concussion in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, wasn't cleared until Tuesday to play.
"I had some nagging headaches that night, but when I got some good sleep and some good rest I was all right," he said. "So I really knew that Game 1 was never in jeopardy."
Oracle Arena has a reputation for being a difficult place to play in, but Cavaliers star LeBron James, who's making his fifth straight finals appearance, doesn't sound concerned.
"I've been in so many loud arenas. This is going to be one of them," James said. "I've played in OKC in the (2012) finals to start off the series. I've played in Boston. I've played in Detroit when they were in their heyday. I've played in Chicago in 2011 to open up the Eastern Conference finals. I've played in San Antonio.
"So I've been in some very loud buildings and this, obviously, I know tomorrow is going to be one of them. But I don't add too much pressure on it. You just go out and you just try to play."
Cleveland enjoyed a few extra days of rest after sweeping the Atlanta Hawks in the conference finals. The team will still be without Kevin Love, though, and Kyrie Irving's health - foot, knee - is still a question after missing two games against Atlanta.
"It's an adjustment, but it's what it is at this point," said Irving, who plans to play in Game 1 regardless of his injuries. "But I'm just going to go out there and will myself to play."
James stepped up to carry the burden throughout the postseason, and he plans to continue to do so in the finals.
"For me as leader of the team, it's my job to lead the guys and to perform well," said James, who suffered a sprained ankle against Atlanta. "At the end of the day, win, lose or draw, that's all I can ask out of myself and ask out of my guys, and we'll do that."
Another storyline in the finals regards the two head coaches, both of who are in their first year. Kerr has played in the finals before, but this will be Cavaliers coach David Blatt's first time playing or coaching in the NBA finals.
"So it's thrilling and it's exciting, and it's joyful to be in this situation," he said. "Is it all unusual or uncomfortable for me? No. I've been in situations like this before many times."
Cleveland and Golden State met twice in the regular season. The Cavaliers won the first meeting 110-99 on Feb. 26 but lost 112-94 on the road on Jan. 9.
Watch the live stream HERE, or listen to the radio broadcast HERE (CLE) and HERE (GS).
