NBA Finals Live Blog: Day 1, Game 1

Ready like Ray Allen for Game 1. Photo credit: Rodney Fisher

The first installment of my game-by-game blog covering the 2014 NBA Finals. Find out new information that may sway the entire series, not just game 1...And a quick reminder about the central Texas weather.

by +Rodney Fisher

Pregame Warm-up: The Journey

We arrived in the San Antonio earlier than normal for a Spurs game. Normally I take full advantage of the "90 mph highway" from Georgetown to I-10, but this game is the first of the NBA Finals so getting their 4 hours early seems mandatory. I got a better than average parking spot, but the short jaunt to get my media credential reminded me exactly what makes Texas, Texas. That my friends is the heat (no pun intended). Welcome the first official sweat of summer 2014...

The AT&T center is no stranger to these type of events. There is plenty of space in the media workroom, and TexMex for dinner...

Spurs fans ready for Game 1. Photo
credit: Rodney Fisher

During the drive down, I listened to LA and Miami sports talk because my Spotify was buffering more than jamming. It is funny to hear people debate why the "nation" is "against the Heat". It's not that people feel the Spurs are the better team, but that everybody hates the Heat, specifically LeBron. The basketball fan that has watched this postseason is fully capable of making the Spurs the favorites. You can simply look at the competition that each team has faced...

Nobody still cares that LeBron left Cleveland do they...Its been four years and four Finals appearances since "The Decision" was televised. Maybe is just the us media trying to find any way possible to include the name LeBron James in a news story to get more views...(am I now guilty also, lol)

If I have learned anything about the Spurs from covering them with the Mavericks, it has to be that Coach Popovich is an idiot savant. He can look like he hates everything in the world, and be the smartest person in the room. His "Kawhi Leonard is the future of the Spurs" speech is another example of Pop out-smarting us all. Leonard was hurt during The Finals last year and could not guard LeBron like he guarded Kevin Durant in the Western Conference Finals. Tonight could be the start of the ascension of one Kawhi Leonard sports fans...

Ray Allen has just arrived on a bus by himself...must mean the lights on the court have just come on.

Coaches Speak (Pregame)

Coach Pop uncanny as always. Photo credit: Rodney Fisher

To hear Coach Pop Click Here

Coach Spo talks about his team. Photo credit: Rodney Fisher

To hear Coach Spo Click Here