There’s the mind-blowing idea that this is the first NBA Finals being played with LeBron James in nine years. But the LeBron-centric view of the basketball universe is misleading, of course. Over the last 20 years there are other stars as prominent as James. ESPN recently showed how NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has played with at least one player in each of the last 36 NBA Finals — holy Shaqitude!
ESPN is now helping fans get the LeBron out of their systems by considering the other stars in the NBA firmament. The network names four NBA stars without at least one of whom no Finals has been played for 20 years.
Kobe Bryant
Every NBA Finals has had at least one of these players in it since 1999
(h/t wesskywalker/Reddit) pic.twitter.com/cFhh9yW8BM
— ESPN (@espn) May 27, 2019
The Spurs dynasty — five titles, more than the Warriors even if they win this year — gives us the recently retired Tim Duncan. The Lakers present the ubiquitous Kobe Bryant. Dwyane Wade brings the Heat, so to speak. And then there’s Steph Curry — though they could have chosen Draymond Green, no? Or Klay Thompson? Those two have been in every NBA Finals that Steph Curry has been in. Why not Draymond? The Raptors better hope nobody brings this to Green’s attention — he eats disrespect for breakfast and turns it into motivation.
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