Good morning, the NBA Finals have arrived

Good moring. LET’S BASKETBALL.

LET’S FINALS.

The important bit: the NBA Finals tip off at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. Can’t wait.

If you need something to get you pumped, you could do worse than this video summing up the Ray Allen Shot.

Paul Flannery put Tim Duncan into perspective: “To say Duncan ranks second, third or fourth is not essential to understanding his place in history. His era makes him unique, but his game has defied trends. He is timeless, and apparently ageless.”

I wrote about the problems with a specific strain of Heat Hate.

Tony Parker talks about the health of his ankle.

John Schuhmann investigates whether Miami’s defense has improved enough over the past six weeks to slow San Antonio.

A lot has been made about the Spurs remembering last year’s Finals and letting that drive them this time around. The Heat also remember, writes Marc Spears.

SB Nation NBA’s big Finals preview drops soon. You’ll find it at sbnation.com/nba!

NIGHTMARE FUEL: Anthony Davis, destroyer of worlds, is adding the corner three to his repertoire.

STERLING’S DONE: Donald Sterling will drop his week-old suit against the NBA, his lawyer says. (The same lawyer vowed fire and brimstone last Friday.)

Michael McCann breaks down how the NBA forced this ending. This should clear the way for a quick sale to Steve Ballmer. Hallelujah!

On that topic, an interesting piece from Andrew Ungvari on whether Ballmer’s riches can permanently shift the L.A. basketball power structure toward the Clippers.

ALL-NBA TEAMS! Few surprises, all told.

BOSTON LOVE: Jackie MacMullan writes that Kevin Love to Boston is not a sure thing. She also mentions that the Bulls have interest in Love and have one of the better offers out there. The Kings also picked up some more buzz in the Love Affair on Wednesday.

ZACH LAVINE! The UCLA prospect reportedly showed off a 46-inch vertical at his workout with the Lakers. Here is a historical re-enactment.

IN CASE YOU HAD FORGOTTEN: DeMarcus Cousins is the best.

FINALS! Happy Thursday. See you next time.