“The NBA will return to painting the Larry O'Brien trophy at center court and Finals script logo on the home team's floor for the Finals starting this season, per sources. The last time the large trophy was painted on court was 2009,” reported ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania on X, formerly Twitter.

Remarkably, in last year's NBA Playoffs, James remained among the league's best. He ranked tenth in the league in points (25.4), rebounds (9.0) and assists (5.6), fourth in minutes played (40.8) and third in steals (2.0). It was a stunning achievement at his age in one of the world's premier athletic competitions.

The Grizzlies took a clear step back by trading Bane away for draft picks. They still have Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., which will keep their floor at around .500. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could have a bounce back year after losing his 3-point touch in Orlando.