Tim Duncan (EPA)
HERE WE GO AGAIN: LeBron James and Tim Duncan meet again in the NBA Finals, six years after the Spurs knocked off James’ Cavaliers in a four-game sweep. (NBAE/Getty Images; EPA)
MIAMI — LeBron James remembers the Spurs dancing and celebrating in his hometown of Cleveland.
Six years later, King James vows he won’t let another Texas-sized fiesta happen again — not in his new home in South Beach.
Thursday night, the Heat and Spurs begin a fascinating old-guard vs. new-guard NBA Finals with Game 1 at AmericanAirlines Arena. The Heat are trying to repeat as champions, while the Spurs are going for their fifth title since 1999 — and first since 2007, when Tim Duncan and Co. crushed the Cavaliers in a four-game sweep.
“It’s a great opportunity,’’ James said Wednesday. “I have something in me that they took in ’07. Beat us on our home floor, celebrated on our home floor. I won’t forget that. You shouldn’t as a competitor. You should never forget that. It’s the same group of guys, for the most part.’’
Yes it is. Duncan, point guard Tony Parker and star sixth man Manu Ginobili — all over 30 — are trying to turn back the championship clock again. For the Heat juggernaut, the clock is only starting to tick.
“That’s what I play for, is to win championships,’’ James said.
James is 1-2 in the NBA Finals, having also lost in 2011 to Dallas in his first season teaming with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. After winning the championship over Oklahoma City last June, the Heat believe a new dynasty is in the making — no matter the contract opt-outs next summer.
“I’ve lost enough, I’ve lost two finals,’’ James said. “I don’t need any more fuel from losing the finals.’’
Footage has surfaced of a Duncan-James exchange following the 2007 sweep. Duncan remarked to James in a hallway, “This is going to be your league in a little while. But I appreciate you gave us this year.’’
James said he barely remembers the exchange.
“It’s cool for you guys,’’ James said of the new footage. “It wasn’t cool for me. He had just won and I just lost.’’
“I hoped to be back here,’’ Duncan recalled. “Knowing the player he was then and the trajectory he was on, I had no doubt he would be back here. And I’m glad and honored to be back here playing against him.’’
At 37, Duncan would be considered young for the 2012-13 Knicks, but is an NBA graybeard whose stunning rebirth this season landed him as first-team All-NBA again.
James tipped his crown to “The Big Fundamental,’’ saying he has “championship DNA’’ and calling the power forward “probably one of the best players to ever play the game.’’
“I just look at the last 15 years, he’s probably been the most consistent, most dominant player we’ve had as far as 15 years altogether,’’ James said. “I think he doesn’t get a lot of recognition because he’s not flashy like a lot of guys. He’s not jumping over people and high flying, doing the things that attract people to the game.’’
Now the Spurs get James smack in his prime, with Wade and Bosh emerging from playoff slumps after an active Game 7 versus the Pacers. Against Indiana, James averaged 29 points on 51 percent shooting — 44 percent on 3-pointers — numbers Carmelo Anthony would have loved in the Knicks-Pacers second-round series. In the 2007 finals, James shot 22 percent on 3-pointers.
“That was like ancient history,’’ Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of 2007. “We were very fortunate to get him so early. He doesn’t care what you all say [anymore]. He knows basketball better than everybody put together in this room.’’
James said the Spurs forced him to shoot jumpers in 2007.
“They went under a lot of my pick-and-rolls and dared me to shoot,’’ he said. “If you go into my pick-and-roll now, I’m going to shoot and I’m confident I’m going to make every last one of them.’’
An old dynasty and new dynasty cross paths tonight.
“Because of that consistency of culture,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said, “I think both franchises thought at some point in the last 18 years we would have met in the finals.’’