LeBron James may not be in NBA Finals, but he is making an impact
TORONTO — When Game 1 of the NBA Finals tipped off Thursday, a superstar was missing from the league's marquee event for the first time in almost a decade.
LeBron James.
As the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors commenced play, James' absence may have gone unnoticed in Scotiabank Arena but probably not in TV and NBA executive offices.
James was rendered a spectator for the first time since 2010 — that’s eight consecutive Finals — after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
When James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers last summer, it opened the door in the Eastern Conference for a different team to advance. It was the Raptors who capitalized, earning their first trip to the Finals in their 24-year existence.
Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry couldn’t even say James’ name during Tuesday's NBA Finals media day. “I've run into one guy for a while. We were given the opportunity – he left – and we beat a really good team in Milwaukee.”
The Warriors faced James four consecutive times in the Finals, losing to the Cavaliers in 2016.
“It’s weird not playing against him,” Warriors guard Shaun Livingston said. “For so long, he was the hurdle we had to get over. It’s weird being somewhere else other than Cleveland in the Finals.”
It's a good bet the NBA is trying to assess how James' absence will impact TV ratings –which have dipped during this year's playoffs – and how his potentially extended absence from the Finals has reshaped the narrative.
Meanwhile, fans have watched as other players have made headlines.
“I haven’t thought about it at all to be honest with you,” Charles Barkley, an analyst for TNT, told USA TODAY Sports before Game 1. “No disrespect to LeBron. Everybody knows he’s a great player.
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