OAKLAND, Calif. -- He has marinated in a Finals loss for 193 days, and now LeBron James flies west from Cleveland on Christmas Eve to revisit the concrete bowl on the San Leandro Bay that's home to everyone's new favorite darlings, the Golden State Warriors.
Soon after he arrives at the hotel in San Francisco on Thursday, James tells Cavaliers' assistant coach Phil Handy that if the Oracle Arena court is available on Christmas morning, he'd like to get a sweat in during the hours before the 2 p.m. tip. Early games can test a player's tempo, and the opportunity to get some shots up, work on his handle, see a couple of touches in the post would soothe his rhythm when the ball went up.