Part III of NBA Finals Trilogy begins tonight

The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to repeat while the Golden State Warriors have designs on winning a second title in three years when the NBA Finals begins with Game 1 in Oakland tonight.

finest statistical postseasons — 32.5 points per game, 8.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 57 percent shooting through 13 games — James is dismissing any argument about the league’s true MVP. Although he’ll finish behind Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard when the regularseason award is given out next month, James has reminded everyone over the past six weeks that he remains the measuring stick at 32.

He’s raising the bar even higher, during a decade in which his actions — on and off the floor — have shaped the league.

“LeBron James has dominated, seriously dominated, this era of basketball. His domination has been about the equivalent to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s in his time,” Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas said. “He’s playing for his place in history, to be talked about as one of the best to ever play. The conversation will come down between he, Kareem and Michael Jordan. Then it’s just a matter of taste. Who do you want?”

Of all his accomplishments, making seven straight final rounds is near the top of the list. When the ball goes up in Game 1 on Thursday, James will be the seventh player to appear in seven consecutive Finals, and the first since Bill Russell led a handful of Celtics on their dynastic run in the 1960s.