"Unbelievable!"
"Blake is incredible!"
"Blake is freaking incredible!"
"He did it! Blake actually did it! He led his team to the Finals as the lone superstar. That's insane!"
"Way to go, Blake!"
"Blake is the future. We're proud of him!"
"Go, Blake!"
"Tore through the Grizzlies, crushed the Lakers, took down the Mavericks. Now keep that momentum going, put out the Heat, and win the championship!"
"Go get it!"
"..."
The comments went on and on, filled with praise and admiration for Blake, along with pure excitement over his trip to the Finals.
Fans back home were completely fired up.
And it wasn't just the fans. Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, numerous professional players, and even celebrities who loved basketball and followed the NBA were congratulating Blake and cheering him on through social media, interviews, television programs, and other platforms.
Blake leading his team to an NBA championship?
His supporters were absolutely serious about it.
...
The Finals had become the talk of the entire league.
And while everyone waited for the Suns and Heat to meet, neither coaching staff was sitting idle.
Both teams were preparing intensively, repeatedly studying game film, searching for weaknesses, and working out strategies to beat the other side.
...
At Blake's villa, Mia Quinn was relaxing on the couch and watching television.
"Come on, Mia. I made it to the Finals. Let's go somewhere nice and celebrate."
Blake waved grandly, looking ready to spare no expense.
"Hehe."
Mia's large eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, but she shook her head.
"No. The Finals start in only two days.
"I don't want to take up any of your time right now.
"Instead of spending it going out to eat, you should head to the gym and train. Once you win the championship, we can go out and have all the fun we want during the offseason."
"Uh..."
Blake pursed his lips, then smiled.
"That works too."
"Mm-hmm."
Mia nodded, stood up from the couch, and practically pushed Blake out the door, sending him off to train and prepare for the Finals.
...
At 3:00 p.m., the Suns gathered at their practice facility.
Led by Blake, Curry, and George, the players had moved past the excitement of winning the Western Conference Finals and were now completely focused on preparing for the Finals.
Just then, Coach Gentry walked onto the court.
He wasn't carrying a playboard. He simply stepped into the middle of the floor, clapped his hands, and motioned for everyone to gather around.
"Ahem..."
Once the players were assembled, Gentry spoke seriously.
"Making the Finals is obviously something worth celebrating.
"But since we're already here, I say we save the celebration until after we win the championship.
"Then we can really go crazy!"
The championship?
The moment those words left Gentry's mouth, every Suns player felt his heart race.
It was something they had dreamed about.
And now, they were no longer far away.
The thought of actually winning it sent their competitive fire soaring.
The championship.
The Suns wanted the championship.
"Yeah!"
The players shouted together.
They were completely serious about winning it all.
"Good!"
Gentry's expression was just as fired up as he raised his voice.
"Our next opponent is Miami. The Heat Big Three. The villains everyone loves to hate.
"They look strong, and they are strong.
"But they are not unbeatable.
"They finished second in the East during the regular season. They lost to us in the regular season. They didn't sweep their way through the playoffs either.
"They are not invincible!
"So stay focused and stay confident.
"We're the biggest dark horse of the season, and we didn't reach the Finals because random 'X-factors' kept saving us like Dallas.
"We got here because of Blake and because every one of you has the talent to compete at this level.
"So even against the mighty 'Heat Big Three,' with home-court advantage on our side, we can beat them.
"Do you hear me?!"
"We hear you!"
The players responded loudly once again, full of confidence.
Gentry's motivational speech might have sounded almost like brainwashing, but it had only one purpose.
Winning.
This was the Finals, the highest stage of the playoffs.
But it was still the playoffs.
And in the playoffs, everything was about winning.
Everything was about the championship.
...
Around the same time, at the Heat's practice facility, Coach Spoelstra gathered his players as well.
"Guys, ignore everything being said outside this building.
"We came together to win a championship.
"That's what we've been working toward all season, and nothing has stopped us yet.
"Now there's only one team standing between us and the title.
"The Phoenix Suns.
"A team built around a rookie as its lone superstar.
"That rookie, Blake, is unquestionably talented. No one here is allowed to underestimate him.
"But we are going to win.
"The 'Heat Big Three' will control this series, and the championship will belong to us.
"This summer belongs to Miami!"
"Yeah!!!"
...
Both teams prepared for the Finals in their own way.
Meanwhile, fans, media members, reporters, analysts, and everyone else around the league waited eagerly for Game 1.
Two days later, the moment everyone had been anticipating finally arrived.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
...
8:00 p.m.
US Airways Center.
An hour before tip-off, the arena was already packed.
Countless fans had come to witness the opening game of the Finals.
Players from both the Heat and Suns were warming up on the court.
"Blake Su!"
"Blake Su!!"
"Blake Su!!!"
With the arena DJ leading the way, deafening chants of Blake's full name swept through the building, pushing the home crowd into a frenzy.
In the stands, stars such as Kobe, Wall, Paul, and Anthony had all come to watch Game 1 of the Finals.
Mia Quinn was there as well, sitting in the front row and cheering Blake on.
At the commentary table, Van Gundy took in the deafening, electric atmosphere with an excited expression.
"Can you hear that crowd?
"This is what the NBA Finals sound like.
"This is how much these fans love basketball.
"Being here to watch a game like this is an incredible experience, and getting to call it is just as enjoyable for me."
"Absolutely."
Mike Breen nodded.
"This year's Finals give us a fresh matchup. The Miami Heat against the Phoenix Suns.
"But there's no question about one thing.
"Both teams are incredibly strong."
...
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