LeBron James and the Cavaliers will face off against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals on Thursday, making it three years in a row that the league’s two powerhouses threw down in a winner-take-all series for basketball’s greatest title.
The series also marks James’ seventh Finals appearance in as many years, and if you’ve watched an inch of NBA programming this season you’re aware that basketball analysts are both in awe of James’ durability while simultaneously speaking of it in hushed tones like he might explode at any minute.
But here’s the thing: LeBron will play—and not play—when he wants to.