Miami Heat-Los Angeles Lakers series to define new Association champion
«Pedro Nakamura". Peninsula 360 Press
This Wednesday the NBA Finals begin in the "bubble" of Orlando, Florida, where 22 teams were interned to culminate the season that was suspended on March 12 because of the first case of Covid-19 infection in a player of the Utah Jazz.
The strategy of American basketball to resume the league and eradicate contagions in the game was to bring together all the teams with aspirations of qualifying for the postseason and create an ecosystem that involved comfort, luxury, medical care and training centers, they found it in the ESPN sports complex in Florida. As of July 30, activities resumed at the Wide World of Sports.
It's the first time in history that two franchises that missed the playoffs last season will play in the Finals.
Both the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers failed to qualify for the postseason in 2019. The Florida side finished 10th in the Eastern Conference with a losing record of 39-43, while the California squad failed to reach the elimination rounds after staying in the same position as today's opponent, but in the West, with 37 wins and 45 losses. Never before in the history of the Association have two teams in such a position reached the final the following season.
Lebron James reaches his 10th Finals in 17 years
The 35-year-old veteran beat the Denver Nuggets 4-1 in the conference finals series on Saturday to win his 10th Finals in 17 years in the NBA. With that, "The King" ties Kareem Abdul Jabbar for third place, two behind Bill Russell, who played in 12 and won the crown 11 times.
Miami Heat, a familiar foe for James
The Los Angeles Lakers star knows what it means to make history with the Miami Heat, as he lifted the Larry O'Brien trophy twice during his time with the team. First he won it in 2012 and then he repeated in 2013 with a vintage team, where he was accompanied by players like Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade.
Lakers could tie Celtics as winningest franchise in the NBA
If the Lakers win the series against the Miami Heat, they could match the all-time winningest team in NBA history, the Boston Celtics. With 16 titles, the Lakers have traded young players like Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball to bring in Anthony Davis, who has been the team's offensive mainstay in the postseason, and James.
In addition to adding other veterans like Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard and Danny Green, all with the purpose of winning two championships in a row and, by 2021, to be alone the institution with more Larry O'Brien in their cabinets.
Lebron's promise to the Bryant family
Following the death of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, Lebron James vowed to lead the purple-and-gold institution to an NBA championship this year in honor of his friend.
LeBron can lift the most atypical title ever contested in NBA history, in a context where he led the fight against racism from the Orlando bubble.
The first game of this series will be today at 8:00 p.m. Central Mexico time and 6:00 p.m. Pacific time.
