Fansided

ABC’s NBA Finals promo is real and it is spectacular (Video)

By Jonathan Bass

Feb 26, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) uses a pick by center Tristan Thompson (13) while driving against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) uses a pick by center Tristan Thompson (13) while driving against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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ABC’s new NBA Finals promo video has dropped – let’s all sit and drool and watch and wait on the series to begin.

The NBA Finals don’t start for another billion days (okay, it’s only five – it just feels like an eternity). But hey, it’s never too early to get hyped up for what, at least on paper, appears to be a solid series.

On Friday, ABC’s new promo video for the Finals popped up on Reddit. If you’re a fan of Avicii and people moving in slow motion, or if you’re just looking for one more basketball morsel to tide you over until June 4th then this nugget is right up your alley.

While we’re here and have some time to kill until the Finals, let’s break down three under-the-radar storylines that loom ahead.

Home-court advantage

In terms of fan engagement, the NBA couldn’t have hoped for a better series. Cleveland fans will be frothing at the mouth as the Cavs work to bring home the city’s first championship since 1964. This is what The Chosen One was born and bred for: toppling 50 years of heartbreak.

On the other side, Golden State is routinely one of the best crowds in the NBA. The Warriors have only lost three games at Oracle Arena all year (two in the regular season, one against Memphis in the playoffs), with the largest margin of defeat being a scant seven points. Fans bring the heat, and the place is always rocking.

Every single game should be loud as all get out.

Mark Jackson cringe factor

Kudos to Mark Jackson. A little over a year after falling out with the Warriors’ top brass, Jackson now must watch his former team vie for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. It takes a big man to sit up in the booth and objectively call each game. Still, it’s hard not to die a little inside each time you hear “Mama, there goes that man,” knowing that Jackson was justthisclose to championship glory.

Injury bug

Kevin Love is gone. Kyrie Irving is hobbled. LeBron looks like he’s running on fumes. And the Splash Brothers may-or-may-not have each suffered concussion-like symptoms following blows to the heads in Games 4 and 5 against the Rockets.

The NFL tends to get all the spotlight when it comes to season length (really, when doesn’t the NFL garner all of the headlines); however, with every marquee star in this series considerably dinged up, some of the focus might shift to the NBA. In the past, players like LeBron and Dirk Nowitzki have expressed interest for shortening the season – perhaps cutting off 10-15 games and eliminating back-to-back-to-back contests. With a livewire, gadfly announcer like Jeff Van Gundy behind the mic, injury talk could become a focus should the stars stay hobbled and the series turn into one of attrition.

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