They may have been crying in Cleveland on Sunday night, but fans of the other 14 teams in the Eastern Conference had cause for celebration.
LeBron James’ decision to leave the Cavaliers and sign a $153.3-million deal with the Lakers not only makes the Lakers relevant again, it completely changes the landscape in the East, where James’ presence has been an insurmountable roadblock to the NBA Finals for eight years.
James has been to the Finals eight straight seasons, four with Miami and four with Cleveland. His absence now paves the way for teams like Boston, Philadelphia and even Toronto, if they get their act together, to enter the season with the goal of making it to the Finals.