The NBA Finals launch Thursday in Oakland, Calif., with a delicious rematch of the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Each side brings a crowd-pleasing objective to the party. The Warriors want to repeat and tie a pretty blue and golden-yellow bow around what may be the most dominant campaign in pro basketball history. The Cavaliers hope to bring Cleveland its first championship since the early 13th century. I am trying to stay up and watch all of the games without falling asleep. Dreams abound!

If you’re one of those people who doesn’t routinely pay attention to the NBA Finals—in fact, you’ve accidentally happened upon the Journal sports page; you’re wondering, where the heck is Bret Stephens?—there’s no escaping this one. Warriors vs. Cavaliers Part II has already hopped the rail from an ordinary sporting event to a cultural moment. These games will be the talk of breakfast, the commute, the office, and the gym. (You are still going to the gym, right? Come on! Beach season!) They’ll probably even be talking about basketball at this year’s NHL Stanley Cup, which is a comparatively low-key affair between the Nantucket Fighting Hermit Crabs and Oregon’s beloved Tillamook Holsteins. The Stanley Cup is an awesome event, and I feel bad about the lack of attention paid to the Fighting Hermit Crabs and the Holsteins. But it’s hard to compete with the Cavs and the Warriors.

It is possible you are not completely up to speed on this NBA championship. With that in mind, we’ve designed a cheat sheet of facts and talking points that will allow you to stay in the conversation without embarrassing yourself:

1. Key background: the Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers reached the Finals with a six-game series victory over the Nova Scotia Plesiosaurs. The Warriors eked out the Western Conference title in seven games with a comeback win over the Atlanta Braves.