Chapter 106 Showdown at the Summit!

After winning Game 7, James and Wade attended the post-game press conference.

"We were missing Chris (Bosh) for the first four games, his return is our biggest help, now we can go all out to compete for the championship."

"I said that the team's goal this season is to win the championship, and as I said before, that has never changed."

"The Finals opponent, whether it's the Thunder or the Spurs, it's the same for us. Last year we weren't ready, but this year is different. This year, what we have to do is overcome ourselves."

...

James' tone was incredibly firm during the interview. It was clear that he wanted to win the championship and was ready to do so.

"Here it comes! Peak showdown!"

"LeBron's team is facing the Spurs again. Five years ago, Duncan told LeBron that the future was his. Now we'll see if it comes true!"

"Haha, bro, your memory is too good, but this final also has the Godfather and the Heat's grudges, it's really the most interesting matchup!"

"Yes, the Godfather has proven the enormous energy he can provide as a role player, he will definitely become a spoiler in the series!"

"Seriously, I really can't imagine the scene after the Spurs eliminate the Heat."

"Duncan: The future is yours, I take that back, I was lying to you~"

"Godfather: You guys did everything right this season, the only thing you did wrong was give up on drafting me!"

"Hehe, you guys are overthinking it, where are LeBron's fans? Miami will win!"

"The broken sword has been reforged, the Human Emperor has returned, pointing the sword to the West!"

"When His Majesty goes on an expedition, not a blade of grass will grow!"

"Miami will win! His Majesty will win!"

...

Before the game even started, social media was already buzzing.

Since James chose to leave the Cavaliers and come to the Heat, the controversy surrounding him has never stopped.

There are fans who support him and fans who mock him, and none of this will change until he actually wins a championship.

Because the Spurs have the best record in the league, the first game of the Finals will still be played in San Antonio.

The Heat arrived in San Antonio a day early and held a closed training session.

Although they were talking loudly, the fact that they played Game 7 against the Celtics was a reality, and Spoelstra's attitude towards facing the Spurs was obviously conservative.

In the shortened season, the two teams only played each other once in the regular season, when Tang Tian scored a season-high 27 points to defeat the Heat.

It was also in that game that Spoelstra's tactic of double-teaming the ball-handler was broken.

It was understandable that he was so cautious before the game.

After training, the players returned to the locker room to rest.

James had just finished showering when he saw Battier and Wade sitting there chatting again.

Besides him, the player on the team who Wade got along with best was Battier.

"Tang's performance is really good, both offensively and defensively, we should have chosen him in the first place." Wade said with emotion.

"Yes, but compared to performance, I prefer his basketball IQ. Honestly, he's the smartest player I've ever seen." Battier also agreed.

James frowned slightly when he heard this.

Wade and Battier were both praising Tang Tian?

This was definitely not a good thing before the game.

Wade and Battier smiled, and when they saw James coming over with a serious expression, they stopped talking.

They knew that James didn't like Tang Tian very much, especially after the 27-point game in the regular season, James was angry.

On the second day of the game, the Heat arranged an open training session for the public.

This training session only involved shooting drills.

Spoelstra's intention was obvious.

The previous closed-door training session was what the team needed, but this open training session was also necessary.

It was to show the outside world the current state of the Heat, that they were relaxed.

James and Wade were chatting and laughing during training, and Battier was competing with Miller on open three-pointers.

The entire Heat team did show this state to the reporters.

After training, James accepted an interview with reporters on the sidelines.

He was quite experienced in dealing with reporters and basically answered fluently.

"Tang's defense against Durant in the Western Conference Finals was very successful, will this be a problem for the team?"

However, when a reporter asked about Tang Tian, James' expression obviously fluctuated.

There are no walls that don't leak wind.

He was still on the Heat team, and his suggestion to Riley was still unknown.

But if he was no longer on the Heat team in the future, or if Tang Tian really made a name for himself, the leakage of information would likely be unavoidable.

That would be a significant blow to his reputation.

He really didn't expect that a second-round pick would develop into what he is now.

But what happened could not be changed, he could only pretend not to care.

"No, it won't. As I've always said, our goal is the championship, and that won't change, let alone change because of a rookie."

James' tone was firm.

And after answering this question, he hurriedly ended the interview.

From James' reaction, the reporters also read a lot of things.

It seems that the feud between Tang Tian and the Heat is not just between Tang Tian and the Heat management?

It seems to have something to do with the Little Emperor as well?

Of course, these were just guesses for now.

More people understood that Tang Tian's 27 points in the first game caused the Heat to lose their momentum, which made James, who was always generous, a little concerned.

"Focus on single defense against the Big Three, Kawhi, try to limit LeBron as much as possible, Tang, your defense against Wade is the same, what's more important for us is to limit the performance of their role players."

Popovich focused more on tactical deployment before the game.

This deployment was completely fine.

The last Game 7 that the Heat played against the Celtics was very illustrative. If it wasn't for Battier's sudden explosion, the outcome of the game would have been unknown.

The performance of the Heat's Big Three was relatively stable, and they would really play a decisive role in those three-to-five-point nail-biters.

So what the Spurs had to do was to limit the performance of the Heat's role players and avoid that kind of situation as much as possible.

"Tim, don't hold back, and don't consider physical fitness issues, their inside is weak, this is our biggest opportunity."

Popovich said to Duncan alone at the end.

In that regular season game, Tang Tian's explosion was important, and Duncan's dominance inside was also important.

If the Spurs want to win this series, controlling the performance of the role players and gaining an advantage inside are the two things they must do.