The Spurs won that series in five games. They made it look easy at times, too.
"Contrast that to now where he's shooting fadeaway 3s from 30 feet to close games out," Kerr said. "I think his confidence level in his shot is the biggest thing. But I think it is pretty remarkable when you've got a guy who is already considered one of the top few players ever to play the game can make that much improvement late in his career. It's a testament to his work ethic and to his work on his skillset."
The Warriors have more talent, by a very wide margin. They have four All-Stars — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green. They have former MVPs in Curry and Durant. They have a former Finals MVP coming off their bench, or rather they will when Andre Iguodala returns from the bone bruise that has kept him sidelined of late.
The Cavaliers have James.
That represents hope. He makes the Cavs better. He even makes the Warriors better.
"LeBron's one of those guys that in order for you to be great like that, you've got to do it, day after day after day," Durant said. "A lot of people don't have that mental capacity to even think about being that great every day, you know what I'm saying? So that's inspiration right there. That's just motivation to be the best that you can be as well."
Once that TV went on Monday night, James locked in on this series.
Around-the-clock treatment on his body Tuesday, including 4 1/2 hours of it on the team's flight to San Francisco. Treatment and workouts on Wednesday. Treatments and pregame shooting on Thursday. Then game time.
Unlike that Rockets-Warriors game, he doesn't know what will happen in Game 1.
But he's ready. He's always ready.
"The level that I can play at is to be seen, but the level that I put into the game and put into my craft is who I am," James said. "So numbers and things like that kind of take care of itself. But for me, I understand and I know how much I put into the game. So everything else is OK."
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More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball
By Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press