NBA Finals by the numbers
COMPETITION in the 2019-20 National Basketball Association (NBA) season enters the final stretch beginning today with Game One of the best-of-seven finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat at the NBA Campus in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
After more than 80 days in the restarted season, left standing are the Western Conference top seeds Lakers and Eastern Conference fi fth seeds Heat, who will collide in the “Big Dance” for the fi rst time in league history.
The Lakers topped the Denver Nuggets in the West finals in five games while the Heat got the better of the Boston Celtics in the East in six.
Below is a by- the- numbers look at the NBA Finals 2020 which will be presented by YouTube TV.
4 – Miami is seeking its fourth NBA championship.
4 – Heat President Pat Riley coached the Lakers to four NBA championships during the 1980s.
5 – Miami’s Erik Spoelstra is making his fifth NBA Finals appearance as a head coach.
5 – The Heat is the first fifth seed to reach the NBA Finals since the current playoff format was implemented in the 1983-84 season.
5 – There are a combined five international players on NBA Finals rosters: Kyle Alexander (Miami; Canada), Kostas Antetokounmpo (Lakers; Greece; Basketball Without Borders Africa 2015), Goran Dragić (Miami; Slovenia), Kelly Olynyk ( Miami; Canada; BWB Americas 2009), Chris Silva (Miami; Gabon)
10 – Miami and Los Angeles both finished in 10th place in their respective conferences last season, making this the first NBA Finals to feature two teams that did not qualify for the playoffs the previous season.
10 – LeBron James will play in his 10th NBA Finals, joining Bill Russell (12), Sam Jones (11), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( 10) as the only players with 10 or more appearances.
12 – ABC/ ESPN’s broadcast team of Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson will work The Finals together for the 12th time.
15 – Fifteen players competing in this season’s NBA Finals have played in the NBA G League, including six Lakers and nine members of the Heat.
17 – The Lakers are trying to win their 17th NBA championship, which would tie the Boston Celtics for the most in league history.
18 – ESPN will produce The Finals on ABC for the 18th consecutive year.
29.6 – Los Angeles’ Anthony Davis is averaging 29.6 points in his playoff career. Only two players have a higher playoff scoring average ( minimum 25 games): Michael Jordan ( 33.4 ppg) and Allen Iverson (29.7 ppg).
66 – Sixty- six international media members from 23 countries and territories have participated in NBA player Zoom media calls since the start of the NBA Playoffs.
215/48 – The NBA Finals will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in 48 languages on their televisions, computers, mobile phones and tablets.
2000 – Miami rookie Tyler Herro will be the first player born in the 2000s to play in the NBA Finals. —