Photo Credit: Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports

Everything You Need To Know About The 2020 NBA Finals

The 2020 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat are going to start tonight at 9pm EST.

It will be very unique Finals due to the entire Bubble situation, with no fans, only one arena and players from both teams constantly running into each other at the hotel. But it also will be very exciting, as the Heat and Lakers are meeting in the Finals for the first time ever. Here are most of the things you need to know about this year’s NBA Finals.

• MATCHUP HISTORY: The Lakers and Heat are meeting in the NBA Finals for the first time. Los Angeles is in the NBA Finals for the first time since the 2009-10 season, which was its last NBA championship. Miami is in the NBA Finals for the first time since the 2013-14 season, which was LeBron James’ final season with the Heat. 

• SEASON RECAP: Los Angeles and Miami will play each other for the first time in nearly 10 months. The Lakers won the two regular-season matchups, both played before Christmas Day.

• PEAK POSITION: Los Angeles and Miami have reached the NBA Finals in convincing fashion. Both teams are 12-3 in the playoffs. The Lakers have won all three of their playoff series in five games. The Heat has elminated the Nos. 1, 3 and 4 seeds in the Eastern Conference.

• BANNER OCCASION: The Lakers have won 16 NBA championships. The Celtics hold the record with 17 NBA championships. Los Angeles can tie Boston with a series victory over Miami.

• SOUTH BEACH SUCCESS: Miami is seeking to win its fourth NBA championship in the last 15 seasons. A series victory would make the Heat the sixth franchise to win four or more NBA championships, joining the Celtics (17), Lakers (16), Bulls (6), Warriors (6) and Spurs (5). 

• FIFTH HARMONY: Miami is the first fifth seed to reach the NBA Finals since the current 16-team playoff format was implemented for the 1983-84 season. The Heat is the third team seeded fifth or lower to make the NBA Finals since 1983-84, joining the 1994-95 Rockets (who won the NBA championship as the sixth seed in the Western Conference) and the 1998-99 Knicks (who lost the NBA Finals as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference). 

• FINALS FIXTURE: LeBron James is in his 10th NBA Finals. He will become the fourth player to appear in 10 or more NBA Finals, joining Bill Russell (12), Sam Jones (11) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (10). James will be the first player on this list to play in the NBA Finals with three different franchises.

• LEBRON AND THE HEAT: LeBron James spent four seasons with the Heat from 2010-14, acquired by Miami President Pat Riley and coached by Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra. James helped Miami win two NBA championships and make four straight NBA Finals appearances before leaving as a free agent to rejoin Cleveland. In the first five seasons after James’ departure, Miami won one playoff series. The Heat has won three playoff series this year.

• THREE-TEAM CHAMPS: LeBron James and Lakers teammate Danny Green are both seeking to win an NBA championship with a third franchise. James has won two NBA championships with Miami and one with Cleveland; Green has won one each with San Antonio and Toronto. Only two players have won an NBA championship with three different franchises: John Salley (Pistons, Bulls and Lakers) and Robert Horry (Rockets, Lakers and Spurs).

• GO THEIR OWN WAY: Los Angeles and Miami have vastly different approaches on offense. Anthony Davis and LeBron James have combined to score nearly half of the Lakers’ points in the playoffs; no other Los Angeles player is averaging more than 11 points per game. The Heat, in contrast, has six players averaging at least 11 points in the playoffs. Miami has had a different leading scorer in all three playoff series.