Finals: The Opening Backcourt Three-Pointer!

On June 1, 2023, the Kings' charter plane landed at Miami International Airport.

As soon as they stepped off the plane, a wave of warm air greeted them.

Miami was in Florida, and like the rest of the state, it had a tropical climate.

It was June, with a high of 31 degrees and a low of 24.

The temperature was extremely comfortable.

Miami didn't have four distinct seasons. For the people who lived there, the year had only a dry season and a wet season.

Even during the coldest time of the year, the daily high still reached 24 degrees.

Thanks to its warm sunshine, many retirees moved to the city, which was why Miami was also known as the United States' retirement community.

They boarded a bus and headed for a hotel near American Airlines Arena.

The Finals were about to begin.

This year's Finals didn't have the star power of past seasons.

Lowry, Butler, and Hiro weren't as dazzling as Alphabet, Durant, Curry, and James.

Wang Yi's explosive style of play had turned heads, but he'd only been making a name for himself for a little over a year, so his fanbase wasn't all that large.

The Heat hadn't attracted much attention over the past two years, and a small-market team like the Kings drew even less.

Even so, plenty of fans flocked to the city for the Finals.

Pretty much every hotel was already fully booked.

This time, Kings head coach Ranadave had learned from experience and booked a five-diamond hotel well in advance.

The Kings had usually stayed in four-diamond hotels when traveling.

But this time, they were competing in the Finals. Of course, he wanted the players to eat and sleep well.

The next day, June 2.

The weather was clear and sunny.