NBA Finals 2017: 5 big questions for Warriors vs. Cavaliers matchup
By John Buhler
1. How are all the legacies impacted by this best-of-seven series?
With this being the third straight meeting in the NBA Finals for these two teams, this series is about one thing: legacies. How will the basketball narrative for these two teams, its players and its coaches be written?
For Cleveland, a win would make James’ case for being the best player all-time over Michael Jordan more compelling. Reaching seven straight Finals and going 4-3 with two different franchises would be beyond impressive. A loss for the Cavaliers would spread the blame. Love would be a scapegoat, head coach Tyronn Lue would certainly get critiqued and James may lose his best chance to surpass Jordan.
For Golden State, we do realize that all the pressure is on the Warriors in this one. They have been the best regular season team ever assembled during a three-year stretch. However, only one win in three Finals appearances essentially makes them the 1990s Atlanta Braves. Durant will be ripped to shreds by the media for being a total frontrunner, leaving Oklahoma City for Golden State, if they lose. He HAS to win to have any hope of being a top-12 player in NBA history.
That being said, a series win for the Warriors puts Curry into the pantheon of the greatest point guard in NBA history. Thompson becomes his generation’s Scottie Pippen, an incredible sidekick. Green becomes a winner like Dennis Rodman, but with the on-court talent of Charles Barkley. Andre Iguodala cements his legacy as a Basketball Hall of Famer, joining the likes of Curry, Durant, Green and Thompson.
Next: Every NBA team's greatest playoff moment
If Warriors head coach Steve Kerr can’t coach in the NBA Finals and it is top assistant Mike Brown who leads this team to victory, Brown becomes the best coaching candidate on the market. While Kerr helped ignite this basketball juggernaut, he will be looked at as a guy that put in motion a team that can win by itself. The amount of basketball legacies on the line in this series is beyond ridiculous. We can’t wait to watch it all unfold beginning on Thursday night in Oakland.