By JOHN E. BIALAS
Go to Twitter and you will see anticipation building for a Golden State Warriors sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
Game 4 is Friday night in Cleveland, and the defending champion Warriors lead the series 3-0 with an excellent opportunity to bury LeBron James for the third time in four years in the Finals.
The always entertaining Michael Rapaport, the actor and podcaster with an active Twitter presence, seems to be leading the cheers for a Warriors sweep of the Cavs because he is a well-known LeBron hater.
Check out these hilarious Rapaport tweets:
Robin Williams brooms it like a lady in a scene from “Mrs. Doubtfire” in 1993.
Brooms Up!!!!#Game3 #ClevelandTwitter pic.twitter.com/v5DIdxpAEf
— MichaelRapaport (@MichaelRapaport) June 7, 2018
Rapaport references Kevin Durant’s big 3-pointer for the Warriors in 2017, this coming after Durant drilled a 33-foot dagger in a 110-102 Game 3 victory Wednesday night.
KD ruined them last season in Game 3 also. pic.twitter.com/ORum9hJyKm
— MichaelRapaport (@MichaelRapaport) June 7, 2018
A doctored Cavs logo promotes the Rapaport podcast on Thursday. It conveys the sweeping motion of a broom or perhaps a mop. Genius!
Coming soon…@iamrapaport app: https://t.co/GcsgaUlWNy pic.twitter.com/j5r4SGpOhC
— MichaelRapaport (@MichaelRapaport) June 7, 2018
The replies to Rapaport are also funny. I’m a Warriors fan and these are my two favorite replies:
Another beautiful day in the wasteland pic.twitter.com/wP0wOC9Pxy
— Vermont Rapapack (@VermontRapapack) June 7, 2018
I’m sure @MichaelRapaport will appreciate this picture lol pic.twitter.com/zh98VwgCOC
— DJ White Mike (@VA1DJWhiteMike) June 7, 2018
That’s Silver’s Broom Shop, as in Adam Silver, NBA commissioner.
Surely, Silver doesn’t want a sweep, but you know Rapaport and other LeBron bashers are eager for one. And the Warriors are more than eager.
ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith said the Warriors “are hell-bent on sweeping LeBron. Their words were, ‘We want to sweep him out of Cleveland,’ ” a less-than-subtle hint that James will be playing elsewhere next season.
Though the Cavs trailed 3-1 before rallying to beat the Warriors for the 2016 title, no NBA team has won four playoff games in a row to take a best-of-seven after going down 3-0.
So give the 2018 championship to the Warriors, even if the Cavs avoid a sweep, and start looking ahead.
One Las Vegas sportsbook I saw already has Golden State as the leading 2019 title favorite.
