Los Angeles Senior Photographer Lucy Nicholson reports back from the 2007 NBA Finals******Growing up in England with 4 tv channels, I didn’t get to watch much***basketball.******The first game I ever saw was during the 2001 NBA Finals when I worked***as a runner for Agence France-Presse in Los Angeles, taking disks from***the photographers and keeping the editors happy with beer.******Allen Iverson was darting all over the court for the Philadelphia***76ers.  I was mesmerized by his energy and acrobatics and quickly***became hooked on the game.  With its breakneck pace and emphasis on***rhythm over rules, it was instantly more attractive to me than reading***through ‘The Complete Idiots Guide to Baseball’ and ‘American Football***for Dummies.’******I’ve photographed every subsequent NBA Finals as basketball trickles***its way across the Atlantic.******There are now three British players in the NBA – Ben Gordon, Luol Deng,***and Ugonna Onyekwe, all on the Chicago Bulls – as well as a smattering***of talented players at U.S. colleges and Spanish clubs.  They add up to***potentially the first-ever remotely competitive British basketball team***at the London 2012 Olympics.  Former NBA bad boy Dennis Rodman even***played last year for my hometown Brighton in the British Basketball***League.******First stop for the 2007 NBA Finals is San Antonio, Texas.  First***challenge is to carry most of my camera equipment onto the plane as***hand luggage.******Fortunately U.S. airlines don’t yet weigh hand luggage, so I walk past***the boarding gate pretending my bags don’t weigh more than I do and***then find a guy to lift them into the overhead bin.******Straight to the arena to set up remote cameras…******These finals orbit around Cleveland Cavaliers player LeBron James.  The***U.S. media are crowning him King James and hailing him as the next***Michael Jordan.  If Cleveland wins (or even if they dont) the Reuters***photo report will be heavily weighted with pictures of LeBron, so***shooting multiple angles of him in action with remote cameras makes for***a varied edit.******On an overhead catwalk I mount a 400mm lens which I will trigger when***players jump for a rebound via a button attached to one of my hand-held***cameras.****** ******Dallas -based Reuters photographer Jessica Rinaldi (top) holds a***focus card.******Photographer Mike Blake set up an overhead remote during the recent NHL***playoffs with a Canon 5D camera and a USB cable attached to a computer***running the Reuters Paneikon editing software.  I decided to try the***same thing so that the editors could have a live feed instead of having***to wait until the late-night end of the game.  We used Paneikon for the***first time at an NBA Finals with Gary Hershorn, Peter Jones, and Mike***Blake editing from New York, Toronto and San Diego respectively, and***everything ran really smoothly.****** ******The Canon 5D, 400mm lens and pc computer set up with a Sprint card***& Paneikon.******The story of Game 1 was how the Spurs Tim Duncan dominated LeBron***James and the overhead camera came through with a good illustration of***his aggressive defense.****** ******Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James (L) is fouled by San Antonio***Spurs Tim Duncan as he goes up to shoot.  REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson******The NBA only allows one camera behind the glass for the finals (in***addition to the NBA & Sports Illustrated cameras), so Reuters, AP,***Getty, EPA, and AFP take turns to set it up and we pool the images.  We***shoot Game 2, which produced a photo of finals MVP Tony Parker.************Lucy setting up the camera behind the glass.****** ******San Antonio Spurs Tony Parker goes up to score during Game 2. ***REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson******I was shooting with the new Canon Mark III cameras for the first time***and they were pretty impressive in low light.  This is a crop of a***third of the full frame of LeBron James sitting in a dark corner***waiting to be interviewed, which I shot at 3200 ISO.****** ******LeBron James at 3200 ISO.  REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson******This finals was one of the dullest, most unemotional Ive seen.  It***ended abruptly in Cleveland as the Spurs won four straight games with a***defensive lockdown on LeBron James magic.****** ***Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James reacts during their Game 2 loss***to the San Antonio Spurs.   REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi******The only spark came from Tony Parker, the diminutive point guard from***France, who energized Game 4 as he became the first European player to***earn the NBA Finals most valuable player award.****** ******San Antonio Spurs Tony Parker of France kisses the NBA***Championship trophy as he holds the MVP trophy in the locker room***defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4.  REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson************San Antonio Spurs Tony Parker (R) celebrates with owner Peter Holt***(C) and Fransico Elson (L) after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in***Game 4.  REUTERS/Hans Deryk******Lucy Nicholson***www.lucynicholson.com*** ** ****