It’s like déjà vu all over again. In the 2013 and 2014 Eastern Conference Finals, Indiana coach Frank Vogel faced off against Erik Spoelstra’s Miami Heat, with LeBron James starring for Miami and leading the Heat to tough wins in both series.
Now, six years later, they’re all back for the Finals, but what a long, strange trip it’s been since. Vogel was dismissed by the Pacers in 2016 and spent two forlorn seasons in Orlando before taking over the helm of the Lakers this year. James, of course, left Miami for Cleveland, made four straight Finals, and then bolted for the Left Coast. Spoelstra is the lone constant, but even he saw his roster completely remade twice to reach this point.
And so they meet again, in a series with definite David vs. Goliath undertones. As always, James is on the Goliath roster: The Lakers have a better record and the two best players. But Miami has several things going its way.
Let’s start…
