On the night of June 14, 2015, with his eyes tucked under a Cleveland Cavaliers hat, LeBron James sat at a podium in Oracle Arena with his back near the wall, the NBA Finals logo draping his silhouette. Cleveland just dropped Game 5 to the Golden State Warriors, putting them one loss away from elimination. James got hurt last season — really hurt, for the first time in his career — and the Lakers, drowning in palace intrigue and trade speculation, missed the playoffs.