SAN ANTONIO — LeBron James and Dwyane Wade can point to statistics showing just how close the 2013 NBA Finals were.

Tim Duncan doesn’t need them.

He can’t forget the way his San Antonio Spurs lost, especially since every replay brings another painful reminder. The Spurs were on the verge of celebrating a fifth title in Game 6, and just two nights later were congratulating the Miami Heat on their second straight crown.

The Spurs wanted a rematch, and so did basketball fans. It begins tonight in San Antonio.

“I think it’s great that these two franchises have this opportunity in back-to-back years to compete for a championship,” Wade said Wednesday. “Last year was an unbelievable series and ... it went down to the very end.”