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SPORTS Thursday 1 June 2017
Finals pick up where they left off with Cavs-Warriors III

JOSH DUBOW northeast Ohio its first major San Antonio. His coach
AP Sports Writer team championship since that year was Mike Brown,
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Af- 1964. who has served as act-
ter a summer highlighted James had won two titles ing coach for the Warriors
by Kevin Durant’s decision as part of another “super while Steve Kerr is out fol-
to leave Oklahoma City team” in Miami but last lowing complications from
for the star-laden Golden year’s meant even more to back surgery.
State Warriors, a six-month his legacy. Brown had two stints as
regular season and three “I’m not in the ‘prove coach in Cleveland, lead-
rounds of playoffs, the NBA people wrong, silence crit- ing the team to the play-
Finals are right back where ics’ department no more,” offs five straight times from
they ended last June. James said. “I got a pro- 2006-10 before returning
Not that anyone expected motion when I got to the for a one-year stint in 2013-
any different. 30s. At the end of the day, 14 when the Cavs won 33
Take III of the NBA Finals tril- I know the way I’m built. games.
ogy between Golden State My only motivation is to “It feels a little surreal,”
and the Cleveland Cava- be able to compete for a Brown said. “I’m sure come
liers gives Stephen Curry championship every single Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry dribbles during an NBA tip-off tomorrow, when
and Draymond Green a year.” basketball practice, Wednesday, May 31, 2017, in Oakland, I’m looking at those guys
Calif. The Golden State Warriors face the Cleveland Cavaliers in
chance to avenge last The Warriors have been Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday in Oakland. in that uniform, it will feel
year’s Warriors collapse right there the past two Associated Press even more that way, but
and LeBron James the op- years, winning the fran- right now just kind of taking
portunity to add a fourth chise’s first title in 40 years everything in stride.”
title in his chase of Michael in 2015 and then blowing UNDERDOG CAVS
Jordan’s six. a 3-1 lead last year to put According to the odds
Perhaps most noteworthy, a sour ending on a record- makers in Las Vegas and
it gives Durant the chance breaking 73-win season. the number crunchers at
at a first championship and That series turned when analytical sites, the Warriors
validation for his decision Green was suspended for are the clear favorites to
to leave the Thunder and Game 5 and James and win the series after sweep-
join the league’s latest su- Kyrie Irving took over from ing their way through the
per team there. playoffs with a record-
“I can’t go out there and “Any time someone beats setting margin of victory
do everything on my own you, you’d love to play of 16.3 points per game.
or I can’t go out there and them,” Green said. “But at James has called Golden
just let my teammates do the end of the day winning State a “juggernaut” but
all the work for me,” Durant a championship is winning nals the past two years, Du- “I know I’ve grown as a the Warriors aren’t buying
said Wednesday, a day a championship. You don’t rant and James met before player just through expe- all that talk.
before the series opener. “I care who you’ve got to that in different uniforms. rience from the last five “We’ve had a great sea-
got to do my part and we take down, you just want James won his first title in years, but if I don’t go out son to this point, a great
all got to make it come to- to take whoever that is 2012 with Miami in a five- there and execute, none playoff run. And hope-
gether as a group.” down.” game series over Durant of that matters,” Durant fully we keep it going, but
This matchup has seemed Here are some other things and the Thunder. Durant said. we fully respect and are
ordained since James to watch in Part III: played well, averaging BROWN CONNECTION aware that this team that
walked off the court in FINALS REMATCH 30.6 points and shooting 55 James’ first trip to the Finals we’re playing, they’re the
Oakland last June, hav- While the Cavs and War- percent but James came came 10 years ago when champions and we’re
ing delivered his native riors have played in the Fi- out on top. the Cavs were swept by not,” Kerr said. q

Police: Racial slur sprayed on LeBron James’ LA home

MICHAEL BALSAMO at the time, but the prop- to keep the conversation single day.”
Associated Press erty manager told officers going on my behalf then James bought the house
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Po- that they believe the inci- I’m OK with it.” in 2015 for over $20 mil-
lice are investigating after dent was captured on sur- “My family is safe, they’re lion. The 9,440-square-foot
someone spray painted a veillance video, Sandoval safe and that’s the most home is not James’ primary
racial slur on the front gate said. Police are investigat- important,” James said. residence. He lives in Bath,
of LeBron James’ home in ing it as an act of vandalism “But it just goes to show Ohio.
Los Angeles on the eve of and possible hate crime. that racism will always be In 2015, James and his pro-
the NBA Finals. Someone painted over the a part of the world, a part duction company signed a
An unidentified person slur before officers arrived of America. You know hate developmental deal with
spray painted the N-word to investigate, Sandoval in America, especially for Warner Bros. worth $15 mil-
on the front gate of James’ said. African Americans, is living lion, an agreement that
home in the Brentwood Speaking in Oakland, In this May 25, 2017, file every day. Even though has him spending more
neighborhood Wednesday where his Cleveland Cava- photo, Cleveland Cavaliers that it’s concealed most of time in Southern California.
morning, said Capt. Patri- liers face the Golden State forward LeBron James leaves the time, you know people James spent several weeks
cia Sandoval, a spokes- Warriors in the NBA Finals the court after Game 5 of hide their faces and will say in Los Angeles last summer
woman for the Los Angeles beginning Thursday night, the NBA basketball Eastern things about you and when working with his production
Police Department. James said, “if this is to Conference finals against the they see you they smile in company.q
Boston Celtics in Boston.
James wasn’t at the home shed a light and continuing Associated Press your face, it’s alive every