oracle arena, home to the golden state warriors. and this weekend, home to a historic nba finals between those warriors and the cleveland cavaliers. and over the next 30 minutes, we'll give you a behind the scenes look at these nba finals featuring the biggest basketball stars on the plan either. this is all access at the nba finals.either. this is all access at the nba finals.ther. this is all access at the nba finals.er. this is all access at the nba finals.r. this is all access at the nba finals.. this is all access at the nba finals. >> never have we seen the same two teams meet for the third time in a row. >> no better atmosphere. >> we've womaned strerked extre too get mere. we don't take it for granted. >> the sxhamp i don't knchampio bay for the first time in 40 years. something special is happening.

>> emotions is on you alone. and it will be a fight. >> we have all the motivation we need. >> a great trilogy. >> hi, everybody. i've da i'm dave briggs. steve smith, good to see you out there out quewest in the sun. this was thought to be a great trilogy, right there with star wars and godfather. but part one was a stinker. is this series over? is there hope for more drama? >> dave, the anticipation, the buildup, the atmosphere before the game when the game started, it was electrifying. and yes, round one between these heavy weights was won by the warriors with a knockout in game one. when you look at lebron james,

he is 1-7 in game ones in finals. but let's remember just you last year, they were down 3-is, th1 and they came back and one. so yes, to answer your question, the cavaliers are not out of it. >> warriors took games one and two last season by 48 combined important s points. this has never happen that had two teams met for three straight seasons. but no james, his old hat, his seventh straight finals appearance. we have literally watched lebron grow up, as a person and player. how has the perception of him changed? >> greatly. no one knows about playing the rolled of both hero and villain in the nba more than lebron james. now in his 14th season, lebron the leak's best player and leading voice evolving from a

team sensation to a cultural icon. >> as a 16-year-old, what is your long term goal? >> get to the naiba. >> even at 61, lebron james was on a mission to be in the best. now playing in about his seventh straight 2350i7finals, but ther been bumps.best. now playing in about his seventh straight finals, but there have been bumps.on a mission to be i. now playing in about his seventh straight finals, but there have been bumps. 2010, his infamous decision ripped the hearts out of fans. >> i hope he never wins anything in miami. >> and lebron instantly became a villain to many by creating a super team culture in the nba. >> at the end of the day, all the people that was rootsing on me to fail, they have to wake up tomorrow with the same life that they had before they woke up

today. >> lebron has said his four years with the heat were like college for him. they helped shape him into the man he is today, pitch man, family man. he's by far the richest american athlete and even finds time to be a part-time movie star. >> when i wind baent back to cleveland, they welcomed me back with open arms and an open-heart. >> that they did. his homecoming was made better after he delivered the city its first championship in 52 years. >> cleveland, this is for you. >> whether playing the hero or villain, he's always used his platform to speak out on social issues. wearing a hoodie for trayvon martin, to speaking out against violence. and just this week he became the target of racism when someone

spray painted the "n" word on his home. >> no matter how famous you are, how much money you got, at the end of the day, being a black man in america is very frightening and it lets us know that we have so much further to go to ob equal be equal in in c. >> and lebron said that the most important thick is that he and his family were saeffe. >> let's bring it to how he is different now than when he came into the league? >> i think he wasn't comfortable being the hero and he wasn't comfortable being the villain back then. and now as he's evolved as a person, he is extremely comfortable being lebron james. you talk about the player, he is

getting we abetter and better. and at 32, he is doing something we haven't seen before. he's on a pace that you're saying when will it end. and then you talk about the person. and? ent in interviews, he's always been super intel gechbt, but now he controls the interviews. the platforms he's stood on, the voice he's given others. and ultimately to have this social issue happen to him and his family before game one of the finals, he handled that one tremendously. i take my hat off to the young man. >> and with the mere mention of lebron comes the unifted evidne debate. jordan or lebron. is it simple as looking at the rings?

>> some will favor lebron, people will favor jordan. can he get six rinks. but lebron has acknowledged that he is chasing history.gks. but lebron has acknowledged that he is chasing history.s. but lebron has acknowledged that he is chasing history. so is that that's what i love about lebron jamgs. >> if lebron can win this seerpryes against the warriors, is it are a draw? >> what he would like to see is another signature momgt. we can go and -- jordan had so many. especially the last shot, so many signature moments. lebron has the block last year. if he were to somehow come up with another signature moment, he might pull it out. >> and lebron has certainly evolved and so, too, has this golden state team from the golden child of the nba to villains? or the warriors ruining the nba? we'll discuss that next.

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don't start humira if you have an infection. just managing your symptoms? ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, remission is possible. dub nation as they are call the out in full force in game one. what a scene it was in the bay area. expect more of the same for game two. welcome back. cnn bleacher report special. i'm dave briggs joined by sam mitche mitchell. let's talk about game one. it was kevin durant going off 38 points. steph curry 28. but we just talked about the evolution of lebron. how is kd different? >> when he was in okc, he was primarily a scorer. he wasn't known for rebounding and taking charge.

but since he's come to golden state, he's become a new player, a better player. if you go back early in the season, there was a game about third or fourth game of the season, he was out there floating around like i normally does and draymond green looks at durant and starts yelling at him you got get in here and rebound and do the dirty work. and since then, he's unbelievable. and i think he's changed the perception of himself. >> and did all the pressure fall on the shoulders of kevin durant? everyone has els a rie has ring. >> and entering the series entering game one, how will he perform after leaving okc.has e. >> and entering the series entering game one, how will he perform after leaving okc.as el. >> and entering the series entering game one, how will he

perform after leaving okc.s els. >> and entering the series entering game one, how will he perform after leaving okc. else. >> and entering the series entering game one, how will he perform after leaving okc. yes, and i will the pressure was on kevin durant. he's the one that did not have a ring. but he performed. he's a 7-footer that can handle the basketball, a 7-footer that can score at all levels. he is also a 7-footer to sam mitchell's point, he has bought in defensively. so you are talking about an unsolved puzzle and this is the one player that you can say go get me a basket, and he can always take a basket. >> you talk about how he came to a team that won 73 regular season games last year. some argue that this made them the villains of the nba. even "new york times" feature showing them as the villain in the nba. how do -- have they ruined the nba? >> no they made it better. when larks and celtics were playing in the finals, people

loved bashl. the chicago bulls were dominating,jordan, being people loved it. people have to have somebody to hate. what are you hating them for? they don't get in trouble. they play the game the right way. they play unselfish. they play both ends of the court and we're mad because kevin durant as a free agent chose to go play for a team that won 73 games like lebron did when he and chris bosh joined dwyane wade. >> but they have sucked the drama out of the game we so dearly loved, have they not? >> you said they sucked all the drama. but have they won the championship? let's not forget, this was a fantastic team and yes it looks fantastic for the warriors.

but this is not over. they want to have somebody to dislike, well, guess what, you have to get in the gym all 28 other teams and try to catch the cavaliers or warriors. i enjoy watching just like sam said, they do it right on and off the court. they play the right way. >> all right. thank you both. up next, let's talk about the coaches here. can you imagine new england patriots in the super bowl without bill belichick? the yankees in the late 90s without joe torre? hard to believe either one. that is the situation that golden state warriors are facing. we'll tell you who is stepping in and stepping up for them next. next. (soft gasp) (record scratching) ( ♪ ) (excited chatter) ( ♪ ) various: whoa! (mixed exclamations) ( ♪ )

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will i have pain and bloating today? my doctor recommended ibgard to manage my ibs. take control. ask your doctor about nonprescription ibgard. bay area has home court advantage for the third consecutive year. and chances are you've never been inside an naibl loba locke but we got rare access. >> i'm driktd toirectoriktirects for the warriors. my duties in the locker room consist of taking care of the uniform, laundering the uniforms, just making sure guys are prepared to play. i just try to be super reliable. i want to take away a lot of the

distractions so they can concentrate on playing. whatever that is, you want to have them concentrate on the game plan and think about playing and nothing else. i warrant to be hent to be help k458 thi challenge, but it's fun. the people on the team make the locker room great. and we have great players obviously head by staled by sta. go warriors. ead led by staff. go warriors. ad led by staff. go warriors. d led by staff. go warriors. led by staff. go warriors. led by staff. go warriors. >> and coach of the year steve kerr is a bystander thus far, still sufferings effects of back surgery. but the man stepping this is mike brown. and let's bring in steve smith. he is no ordinary assistant coach, is he.

>> you're totally right. this is former coach of the year. he's coached some of the all-time great. he is in a unique position and i got a chance to sits down with mike brown to pick his brain with what he's going through. >> mike brown continues to heed golden state while steve kerr is on the road on recovery. >> it can't be easy having steve around, your input, not knowing when will steve come back or come back. tell me about it. >> at times it is a little difficult, but i know steve's intentions are great. and he's laid a fantastic foundation down. if it happened at the beginning of the year, it might have been tough on me because i didn't quite understand moor have a grt field of what the culture is or what the players are about, what makes them tick. being with them through the

course of the year. it made it seamless for me to kind of take over when needed. but when he wants to jump in, i think they can just help us because his voice is terrific. >> you know lebron and seeing lebron from a juyoung age, into now, tell us about it. >> i wish be we didn't have to face lebron at all and i wish we could face a kyung lyoun young . they are praying are playing at level. he has his guys around him believing which is a big thing at this stage of the game. it will be a fun series. >> also interesting nugget, mike brown still makes cleveland home and he still gets paid by the cavaliers. that is a fascinating dynamic. >> if you're at home sayings

head xoecoach is out and they b out cleveland, is head coaching overrated? >> no, you do your coaching in practice. you don't get to the nba finals without your team knowing their identity and who they are. he's countdone a great job gett the team ready. and he just makes though simple also remishds nders to the team about. >> so basically i could coach? not right now. but if cleveland wins, he would be the second to win be titles in his first two seasons. we'll get the prediction on the series next and plus we'll take a ride with one of the most diehard and recognizable warriors fans, mc hammer clicking in next.

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came to the warriors parade. golden state warriors represents both sides of the bay, so they get love from all over. >> i started going to waterer s ga in '71. when they won, that is cemented that hard work city.s in '71. when they won, that cemented that hard work city. in '71. when they won, that cemented that hard work city. champions are not made, they are bred. >> i believe the reason oakland breeds champions is because they teach you perseverance. >> they are a great representation of nba basketball. so i understand the implications of the warriors winning. it proves with good leadership, weste we were able to and are able to not only compete, but to win. says it all.

of course cleveland too legit to quit last year. coming back to win the series. it was kyrie who delivered the dagger last year. most important player not named kd, lebron or curry. and your prediction? >> you just called it, kyrie irving. lebron james will do what james does. he will get his point, rebournd bounds and assists. but could i require wikyrie wil they want to keep the championship 37. >> and for me it's draymond green. whether the rebound, the loose ball, emotiegtional leader. i say warriors in six. >> warriors in six. and you say warrior s in five.

remember, too legit to quit. enjoy the finals. thanks for being here. you are live in the "cnn newsroom." great to have you with us. first this afternoon, will president trump move to silence james comey? comey is scheduled to testify this coming week on thursday. and many in washington are expecting fireworks. comey is expected to talk about his private conversations with the president and whether president trump ever attempted to influence the man who was investigating his campaign. and we may get an answer to the most significant question of all, is does