Did you know the Cleveland Cavaliers are considered underdogs in the NBA Finals?
Did you know the Golden State Warriors are considered heavy favorites by many?
Did you know the Cavs really aren't concerned with such labels either way?
"If we're the underdog, good," Cavs coach David Blatt said, before repeating himself. "That's good. No problem with that. It's not an ego thing. It's more about preparing and getting ready to play, and I think we've been a little bit of an underdog all year."
LeBron James recently said he'd never be an underdog. That was shortly before someone mentioned the Cavs were underdogs prior to the Eastern Conference finals vs. the Atlanta Hawks.
Then James and the Cavs swept the Hawks. In one of those four games, the Cavs actually felt threatened. The other three? Well, not so much.
So far, the Cavs are 12-2 in the playoffs. One of those losses came after a 3-point heave by Chicago's Derrick Rose at the final buzzer. It banked in.
Actually, that was the Cavs' last postseason defeat. They've won seven in a row since. They've really only played what could be considered two "poor" games. Those would be Game 1 against the Bulls (a bad loss at home) and Game 3 against the Hawks (a less-than-impressive overtime win at home).
So what's with all this underdog business?
"Sometimes (it's) not because we didn't have the capability, but maybe people wanted to see us not do as well as we've done," Blatt said.
Translation: When it comes to LeBron's teams, people love to hate. Why? Well, maybe because LeBron's teams are always good. So people (read: media members) drum up drama, oversell that drama, and root for the Cavs to lose.
Others just hate Cleveland because it's not Miami or LA. Outside of James, it's not exactly a breeding ground or hot spot for celebrities. It's not exactly a good place to go to work on your tan. It's not exactly hip -- unless perhaps you're a square.
Of course, it may also have a little something to do with the Warriors. Unlike LeBron and some of his running mates, the Warriors are new to this game. That goes for every last one of them, as not a player on their team has experienced the Finals until now.
The Warriors are also extremely exciting, with a quotable and fun-loving coach in Steve Kerr, and likeable and breathtaking star in Stephen Curry. They are extremely talented and cohesive and, because of their access and friendliness, have become media darlings.
Typically, any suggestion the Cavs might have a chance is met with anger and disbelief outside of Cleveland. The Warriors are America's Team. The Cavs are just a bunch of hustling dudes and LeBron. The Warriors survived the awe-inspiring West. The Cavs escaped the easy East. Or so the arguments go.
But it all means little to the Cavs. Or for that matter, the Warriors.
"We've got to bring our A game if we're going to beat a great team and a great player like (James) four times," Curry said.
Meanwhile, Cavs guard Iman Shumpert will likely spend a lot of time attempting to temper the red-hot Curry -- who averaged better than 30 points per game in the West finals vs. Houston.
Shumpert and the rest of the Cavs realize this isn't an easy task. They realize they don't own home-court advantage. They realize Kevin Love has been missing for a month and Kyrie Irving has been hobbling. But underdog? The Cavs?
"I don't think anybody thinks of any underdog situation right now," Shumpert said. "We know they're a good team, we know we're a good team. We're just trying to win."
If anything, the Cavs seem to think the underdog label will inspire them even more. But true underdogs, quite honestly, aren't determined until a series is over.
