<
>

NBA Finals: Players react to the Heat-Lakers matchup

The 2020 NBA Finals matchup is officially set (Game 1 on Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET on ABC). LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets on Saturday to advance to the Finals for the first time since 2010. On Sunday, the Miami Heat closed out the Boston Celtics to punch their ticket. They have not been to the Finals since James left as a free agent in 2014.

This will be James' 10th Finals appearance but his first against his former team. The three-time Finals MVP won two titles with the Heat and a third with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. Both the Heat and the Lakers missed the playoffs last season.

After the Heat clinched, players and Heat alumni congratulated the team few expected at the start of the season to be one of the final two standing.

James and the Lakers were congratulated on social media on Saturday night after they emerged from the West, one of the teams many thought could make a deep playoff run before the season began.

Others shared their excitement over the matchup between James and his former team.

Some thought the Lakers would be here in the NBA Finals -- and not many thought of the Heat -- but there was one player who had the foresight to call this matchup. JR Smith was a free agent in February, but his prediction game was on point.