LeBron is now entering his eighth straight NBA Finals appearance. This is a remarkable feat in itself. As an Illinois fan, it is hard to remember what life was like for the Illini the last time the NBA Finals didn’t feature LeBron. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane.
Head Coach: Bruce Weber
Bruce Weber was in his seventh season as the head coach of the Illini. He still had two more years left before Mike Thomas would come in and do a sweeping change to the athletic programs at Illinois.
Weber and the Illini missed the NCAA tournament that season.