The NBA Finals 2014 is upon us, and it HAD to be the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat! After the classic series they gave us last year, fans demanded a rematch between two of polarizing teams in basketball!

The basketball gods were actually listening.

From ESPN: "The rematch. The rubber match. The revenge series. Call it whatever you want. If you believe that everyone deserves a second chance, this is the Finals matchup for you. The San Antonio Spurs want payback. The Miami Heat want a three-peat. Who wins? We all do."

LeBron James and Tim Duncan have faced off twice in the Finals before. The first one was in 2007 when LeBron was still with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tim Duncan and the Spurs were at the peak of their powers and disposed of him easily in a 4-0 sweep!

LeBron came back with reinforcements in a different team and got his revenge on Duncan-who was already battling retirement rumors.

This is just one storyline.

"The Spurs' desire for redemption. They've burned for 11 months. Burned! Tim Duncan is almost talking trash about it. They're on a mission, etc, etc."

The usually reserved and subdued Tim Duncan actually gave a prediction/challenge. Something he rarely, if ever does. LeBron James shows some restraint in his response: "From Tim's comments, they must not like us.They want us, they got us."

For the usually outspoken King James, the restraint speaks volumes on the gravity of the situation. 

"LeBron James' legacy. While it's pretty much established that LeBron, at age 29, is already one of the top five talents to ever play the game, this series can fortify his legacy more than any he's played to this stage. A win, and LeBron has done something his idol, Michael Jordan, and his biggest contemporary co-superstar, Kobe Bryant, have achieved with a three-peat. A loss drops LeBron-led teams to a 2-3 record in the Finals." 

LeBron James would complete his conquest of the Spurs if they beat them this series. They were one shot away from watching an awards ceremony at their home floor. 

While it was a dramatic victory, it was not at all convincing. 

What better way to cement his place as the undisputed King of the League than by convincingly defeating the most consistently successful team in the last 17 years?

Thursday night has never seemed so far away..