Basketball: ST's Paul Zach at NBA finals between Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors

Naom, mother of LeBron, a jaguar at the Akron Zoo picking a red Cleveland Caveliers ball during a session to predict which team will win the NBA finals. -- PHOTO: WEWS/YOUTUBE
Naom, mother of LeBron, a jaguar at the Akron Zoo picking a red Cleveland Caveliers ball during a session to predict which team will win the NBA finals. -- PHOTO: WEWS/YOUTUBE
The Quicken Loans Arena which is painted up for the NBA Finals. -- ST PHOTO: PAUL ZACH
A photograph of downtown Cleveland with a banner of LeBron James in the background. -- ST PHOTO: PAUL ZACH

The Golden State Warriors will play Cleveland Cavaliers in the opening game of the NBA finals in Oakland, California, (9pm Friday Singapore time).

The Straits Times' Paul Zach will be our man on the ground at the finals. Watch for his pictures and reports over the next few days and next week, as both teams play out seven games.

Zach lives in Cleveland and here are his pictures from the ground as the fans start to rally around their team and home-grown superstar icon LeBron James, who was born in Akron, Ohio.

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