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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS vs WARRIORS

May 30, 2018

David West

Oakland, California: Practice Day

Q. Back in The Finals. What's it feel like?
DAVID WEST: It's good. Another opportunity, chance for us to win. Obviously it's a great task in front of us. A team that I guess we're familiar with, but it's a new year, a new series, and it presents new challenges.

So we've just got to be ready to lock in. It will be a fun series. Obviously, the intensity will be there. Being a part of this last game or this last group of games is always a special opportunity.

Q. Can you talk about sort of the historical context of what that means for the NBA to have a rivalry like this? LeBron James, one of the greatest players facing off again in The Finals against a great team for the fourth straight year?
DAVID WEST: It's a part of sports history. Obviously anything concerning LeBron at this point is all for the historical record. You know, just like I said, it's a matchup, but it took a lot to get here. But it's a long, long road to get here. Sometimes that gets lost in the shuffle. How many teams you've got to beat to get this this point. It's going to be another high-intensity, high-impact series. Lot of great talent on display

Q. Do you guys feel you're a better team having to go through what you did with Houston, not having home-court advantage and just going through that adversity?
DAVID WEST: I mean, we're confident, obviously, in the group that we have. But they're formidable. They had a pretty tough run on their side. They've really been tested and tried, probably more than they have in the past.

So we know they're ready. We've got to make sure that we stick to our details and do the things that we talk about doing. It obviously starts with just putting bodies in front of LeBron and making things as difficult as possible for him.

Q. Everyone talks about LeBron and the minutes he's playing and what he's done in the playoffs. His basketball IQ is obviously through the roof. Is that one of the biggest attributes he has?
DAVID WEST: Yeah. I mean, the dude's great, man. I think his ability to control the game, perform even when he knows everybody's geared up to stop him, guys on the floor are concentrating on him. I think not so much his physical ability, but his IQ does get him through those moments where he's got to out-think.

He knows the team has schemed against him, players are gearing up for him. He's still able to impose himself and be super productive. So the visibility to think the game is probably up there with the all-time greats.

Q. Can you put perspective on just how hard it is to get here one time, let alone four straight as these two teams have?
DAVID WEST: I mean, you've got -- everything almost has to be perfect. I think, obviously, teams who maintain health throughout the year can do it. They usually have the best shot at this stage. But personnel, focus, the team, going through the December, January, February months, all of that stuff, you've got to come out of that unscathed in order to have a shot at this.

For a lot of our young guys, this is all they know. I think this is Loon's third [season]. All he knows is The Finals, deep playoff runs. So it's something that you can't take for granted. Something that, again, almost -- I mean, things just have to be so right and so perfect just to get here. It's a tough, tough thing to do.

Q. This is the first time in American sports history where the same teams have met for four consecutive years. Can you talk about the history of the two teams meeting up?
DAVID WEST: Yeah, that's great. I didn't know that. In all of sports you said?

Q. In the four major American sports, yes?
DAVID WEST: That's pretty tough. Again, it's tough to get to this point, so there is some consistency there, obviously. The franchise's ability to keep guys prepared and guys focused, like I said, it's one of the tougher things to do just to get to this stage.

I think it's a testament, obviously, to the talent. That's a big deal. But just the way these organizations have handled themselves and keep the group together and focused on that end game.

Q. Fortunately for you this is your swan song in your career. How excited are you for the series?
DAVID WEST: It should be fun. It should be a tough series. Obviously, two great teams. We'll just have to see, again, who can grab momentum. Who has the greater energy, greater focus.

Q. What do you think your role will be throughout the series?
DAVID WEST: I don't know. We'll see. Obviously, it will be a physical series. We'll just have to see.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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