The NBA Finals begin Thursday, June 2nd as the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to San Francisco to face off against the Golden State Warriors. These two teams met last year in the NBA Finals, with the Warriors winning the series 4-2. The series was the most watched NBA Finals since Michael Jordan and the Bulls last title in 1998 and it averaged 19.94 million viewers.
This Finals is shaping up to be even more exciting than last year and it is a safe assumption to think it will surpass the viewing average from last year. Last season, the LeBron James-led Cavaliers were battered and beaten and did not have two of their best players in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Now, both players are healthy and Kyrie Irving has looked like as much of a superstar as LeBron James. Also, this is LeBron James’s sixth-straight NBA Finals appearance and he is certainly looking to add to his pair of rings.
The excitement doesn’t stop on the Warriors side of the court. The team from the Golden State broke the all-time record for the most wins in a season as they won 73 games to only 9 losses. The postseason has been nothing but smooth sailing either, as it has mostly been for the Cavaliers. Steph Curry, the first unanimous MVP, was injured early on and missed several games. There is talk of him still only being about 70% on the court. Plus, the Oklahoma City Thunder surprised everyone by taking the Warriors to the brink of elimination in a Game 7.
These storylines will make for an exciting series, but another aspect that cannot be forgotten is the sheer talent on both teams. While both teams are well-rounded and team oriented, they each have freak athletes who love to put on a show. It is a safe bet to assume there will be plenty of highlight reel plays and who knows maybe one will even be better than some of these plays!
One thing is for sure, you cannot miss any of the series as it will be one for the ages. Whether you are rooting for LeBron to get another ring or for the Warriors to close out the best season in basketball you have to just sit back and enjoy the drama that only sports can produce.
Obviously, we are excited about the Finals and since we are cable cutters, we had to put together a guide on watching the NBA Finals without cable. If you are interested, below are some of the highlights.
Streaming Options for the NBA Finals:
Sling TV: One of our favorite cable alternatives out there, Sling TV gets you access to ESPN3 and ABC through WatchESPN. ABC owns the broadcast rights to the Finals and ESPN3 will be simulcasting the series. You just log in to WatchESPN with your Sling TV credentials and you are all set. Or, in some locations you can sign up for the Broadcast Extra package and get direct access to ABC. Check to see if it’s available near you here.
Overall, Sling TV costs $20 per month and provides in total more than 20 cable channels to stream. ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, TNT, CNN, and AMC are just some of the featured channels.
PlayStation Vue: Set up nearly the same as Sling TV in terms of how you can watch the series on either ABC or ESPN3, PlayStation Vue is another great option. Some locations, specifically Philadelphia, San Francisco, New York City, Dallas, Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles, get ABC live and the subscription costs $10 more in those locations for a couple additional channels. Everywhere else, you get full access to WatchESPN and the price tag is $29.99 per month. ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, TNT, Comedy Central, FS1, FS2, and FX are some of the channels included in the started package. In total, there are more than 50 streaming channels.
WatchESPN: Keep in mind that there are other ways to log into WatchESPN besides Sling and Vue. Some ISP credentials will work. And if you have cable, you can use your cable login to watch on the go.
Don’t miss what could be the biggest NBA Finals in history!
