Who’s Playing in the NBA Finals?

The NBA Finals are upon us and everyone is asking who’s playing. We have the answer for you right here!

The Teams

The 2020 NBA Finals will feature the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat. This will be the first time since 2010 that the Finals will be between two teams from the same state. The Lakers are the defending champions, having won the title in 2019. The Heat last won the title in 2006.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league’s Western Conference in the Pacific Division. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, an arena shared with the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and the National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings. The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA, and have won 16 NBA championships, the second-most behind the Boston Celtics.

Founded in 1947 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen bought a failing detroit Gems of the National Basketball League (NBL) for $15,000, Parlayed $24,000 from a savings account into controlling interest in the team. eventualy relocated to Minneapolis, Minnnesota where they were known as the Minneapolis Lakers. Since relocating to Los Angeles in 1960, they have played at STAPLES Center. As of 2019–20 season, they have played at eight arenas in L.A.: The Forum (1967–1999), Staples Center (1999–present), Loyola Marymount University’s Gersten Pavilion (1989–1991; selected home games while The Forum was being renovated), Pauley Pavilion at UCLA (1960–1967; selected home games while The Forum was being built), Pan Pacific Auditorium (1959–1960; selected home games prior to moving to Loyola Marymount University’s Gersten Pavilion and Pauley Pavilion), Shrine Auditorium/Exposition Park Arena (1948–1959; selected home games prior to moving to Pan Pacific Auditorium).

Miami Heat

The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at American Airlines Arena, and has won three NBA championships.

The Players

In the NBA Finals, there are two teams: the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors. On the Warriors, there is Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant. For the Raptors, there is Kyle Lowry, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, and Marc Gasol.

LeBron James

LeBron James is one of the most iconic basketball players of our generation, and he’s led his team to the NBA Finals for the ninth time in his career. James has played in all four of the Cavaliers’ NBA Finals appearances, and he’s looking to bring a championship back to Cleveland for the second time. He averaged 34 points, 8.5 rebounds and 10 assists in the first two games of the series, and he’ll need to continue that level of play if the Cavaliers want to have a chance against the Warriors.

Anthony Davis

Davis was born on March 11, 1993, in Chicago, Illinois. He began his high school career at Perspectives Charter School before transferring to Central Hollywood High School for his sophomore year. As a senior, he was named Mr. Basketball of Illinois after averaging 28.1 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. He then played college basketball for one season (2011–12) with the University of Kentucky, when he was first team All-American and the National College Player of the Year. After a semester at Kentucky, he declared for the 2012 NBA draft where he was selected with the first overall pick by the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans).

Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler (born September 14, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing one year of college basketball for Tyler Junior College, he transferred to Marquette University. He was drafted with the 30th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls.

Butler emerged as a star during his time with the Bulls, becoming a two-time NBA All-Star and being named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2015. He was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017, and played one season for Minnesota before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers midway through the 2018–19 season. In his first season with Philadelphia, Butler helped lead them to the playoffs where they lost in seven games to the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The following season, Butler was traded to Miami.

In his first year with Miami, Butler led them to the NBA Finals where they lost in six games to Butler’s former team, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bam Adebayo

Bam Adebayo (/əˈdeɪboʊ/; born July 18, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. As a sophomore in 2016–17, he was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year. After forgoing his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility to enter the 2017 NBA draft, Adebayo was selected with the 14th overall pick by the Miami Heat.

The Coaches

The Coaches for the NBA Finals are Steve Kerr for the Golden State Warriors and Tyronn Lue for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Steve Kerr is in his 4th season as the Head Coach for the Warriors. He has a regular season record of 265-63 and a post-season record of 70-29. Tyronn Lue is in his 3rd season as the Head Coach for the Cavaliers. He has a regular season record of 128-77 and a post-season record of 33-20.

Frank Vogel

Frank Vogel is an American professional basketball head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also served as the head coach of the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic. Vogel was born in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey and raised in nearby Margate City. He played basketball at Juniata College, winning the program’s first-ever Landmark Conference tournament in 1992. After graduating from college, Vogel began his coaching career as a video coordinator for Rick Majerus at the University of Utah.

Erik Spoelstra

Erik Spoelstra is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach of the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a two-time NBA champion, winning consecutive titles in 2012 and 2013.

Spoelstra was born in Evanston, Illinois, and grew up in Portland, Oregon. His mother, Jon Spoelstra, was a former professional tennis player from the Netherlands who was ranked as high as No. 10 in the world in 1960. His father, Stan Spoelstra, played college basketball for the University of Minnesota. Erik’s grandfather Irving Bierman was a lawyer who represented the NBA players union during negotiations for the first collective bargaining agreement in 1968.

Spoelstra played basketball at Jesuit High School in Beaverton, Oregon, where he was named Oregon’s “Mr. Basketball” in 1989. He played college basketball for the University of Portland Pilots from 1989 to 1992. In his senior year, Spoelstra was named co-captain and led the team to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 25 years.

After graduating from college, Spoelstra joined Pat Riley’s staff as a video coordinator for the Miami Heat. He held that position for seven years before being promoted to assistant coach in October 1999. In June 2008, Riley announced that he would retire from coaching and Spoelstra would be his successor.

Spoelstra has been credited with helping to develop Dwyane Wade into one of the best players in the NBA. He has also been credited with developing other Miami Heat players such as Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic.

The History

The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. It is the culmination of aregular season that begins in late October and ends in late June.

The Rivalry

The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The winning team of the series receives the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, which replaced the Walter A. Brown Trophy in 1983.

The history of the NBA Finals can be traced back to 1947, when the Basketball Association of America (BAA) was formed. The BAA played its first two seasons without a formal playoff system, crowning champions based on winning percentage. In 1949, however, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA, and a formal playoff system was introduced. The first ever NBA Finals took place in 1950 between the Minneapolis Lakers and New York Knicks, with Minneapolis winning four games to three.

The Championships

The Championships are the annual playoffs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The playoffs follow a tournament format and involve each of the league’s top eight teams, who compete in separate conferences (Eastern and Western).

The Future

The 2020 NBA Finals are set to be one of the most interesting in recent memory. With the two best teams in the league facing off, and some of the best players in the world suiting up, the stage is set for an unforgettable series. Let’s take a look at who’s playing and what the future holds for the NBA.

The Legacy

The NBA Finals are the Championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference Champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The winning team receives the Clarence S. Gaines Trophy.