After Game 1 thrill ride, what’s ahead?

Reading time, two minutes:

▪ If the rest of the NBA Finals is as good as Game 1, we’re in for a thrill ride.

▪ LeBron James (44 points) and Steph Curry (26) underline a major point in all sports: The show elevates from “good” to “wow” when the superstars deliver.

▪ Like they say at the Las Vegas sportsbooks: The Warriors are a lock when they reach the finals (5-0 since 1975!).

▪ It all points toward the Warriors: Beating Cleveland on James’ best night, Kyrie Irving limping off the court, their bench outscoring the Cavaliers’ 34-9.

▪ A caveat: Game 2 always seems like the best chance for the visiting team.

▪ The purist wants it thus: Irving healthy and both teams at full strength, because it looked so sweet Thursday night.

▪ Always the Warriors’ parallel between 1975 and 2015: An insanely deep bench, and it showed in overtime.

▪ Right now: Curry owns the Bay Area, though Buster Posey owns the hardware.

▪ What Barry Bonds missed: Curry plays with joy, and he’s likable.

▪ The average ticket price was a Game 1 NBA Finals record: $1,023 according to Ticketmaster, $1,535 according to StubHub.

▪ Somehow, my couch has become more comfortable.

▪ ESPN’s Trent Dilfer on Charles Barkley’s golf swing: “I got a lot of voices in my head yelling at me all the time. I can’t imagine the voices he has in his head to create that move.”

▪ Barkley picked the Cavaliers in six. I’ve got the Warriors in six. I like my chances.

▪ Something is missing in the TV coverage of the NBA Finals and the Warriors overall in the playoffs: The word “Oakland.”

▪ The world to the networks: More Jack London Square, less Golden Gate Bridge, please.

▪ Why? Because the Warriors have played in Oakland for decades.

▪ I’m sure Modesto’s Bob Piccinini, a minority owner of the Warriors who died just before the playoffs, would’ve sat in his courtside seat and loved this.

▪ Planning your summer? For celebrity watching, there’s nothing better: The 26th American Century Championship, July 14-19 at Edgewood Tahoe.

▪ Can’t imagine more deserving red cards waved in the faces of FIFA President Sepp Blatter and his henchmen. Methinks we’ve only heard about half of the mess.

▪ The cleanup of FIFA won’t be serious until these words are heard: “The World Cup will not be contested in Qatar in 2022. Our bribes, hush money and other dirty cash steered us toward a dumb decision. We’ll pay for all expenses in Qatar and move elsewhere.”

▪ A country that can handle such a project on short notice: England.

▪ One-third of the way into the season, and one truth is emerging about the Giants: They don’t rally from behind. At least not yet.

▪ President Barack Obama welcomed the Giants into the White House for the third time. One more, and he’ll get a World Series share.

▪ Obama may start thinking Hunter Pence does eat pizza with a fork.

▪ Fifteen years ago: James played for the Oakland Soldiers’ under-17 team, and one of his teammates was Chuck Hayes (Modesto Christian).

▪ The inside word back then: James was younger than the rest, he would not go on to college and – after he dropped 30 on an unsuspecting opponent in one half – everyone knew the kid from Ohio was special.

▪ James chats with the officials like he’s saying, “You must call the foul when I say so.”

▪ He’s also the first player since Bill Russell to reach five straight NBA Finals. Which means he’s got the cache Curry doesn’t.

▪ Watch Hayes sweat with the kids at his camp next week at Big Valley Christian.

▪ While we’re on the subject: Nate Costa (Hilmar, Oregon) again will hold his football camp June 24-26 at Hilmar High.

▪ A super-knowledgable horse racing friend insists American Pharoah will win the Triple Crown Saturday. Funny, but we heard this with Smarty Jones, War Emblem, Real Quiet, Silver Charm, etc.

▪ About NCAA champion golfer Bryson DeChambeau (Clovis East, SMU): His first swings were taken at Ripon’s Spring Creek Country Club, where his father, Jon, worked.

▪ Bryson’s first legit par was made at Spring Creek’s sixth – safely over the water off the tee and into the cup with his fourth. He was 5 or 6.

▪ Shelley, daughter of yours truly, soon will be packing for UCLA as Bruin blue creeps into my wardrobe. Looks odd next to all that Fresno State red.

This story was originally published June 5, 2015 at 4:32 PM.