Say what you will about LeBron James in the scope of all-time greats, but it’s hard to deny him as the face of the NBA Finals for an entire generation of basketball fans.
NBA FINALS PREVIEW: Warriors aim for dynasty status against LeBron James, Cavs
Our friends at Opta dug into the record books to give us a by-the-numbers look into just how synonymous James has become with the NBA Finals over the last decade-plus (if you like what you see, give @OptaLarry a follow on Twitter).
6 — James is just the sixth player in NBA history to reach eight consecutive NBA Finals, and the first to do so since a quintet of Boston Celtics from the 1950s and '60s.
| Player | Consecutive Finals | Years |
| Bill Russell | 10 | 1959-1969 |
| Sam Jones | 9 | 1957-1966 |
| Tom Heinsohn | 9 | 1956-1965 |
| Frank Ramsey | 8 | 1956-1964 |
| K.C. Jones | 8 | 1958-1966 |
| LeBron James | 8 | 2011-2018 |
2010 — The last time LeBron James was not in the NBA Finals was in 2010 when Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to their 16th NBA title in a seven-game series victory over the Celtics. Here's a breakdown of his nine Finals appearances:
| Year | Team | Opponent | Result |
| 2007 | Cavaliers | Spurs | L (4-0) |
| 2011 | Heat | Mavericks | L (4-2) |
| 2012 | Heat | Thunder | W (4-1) |
| 2013 | Heat | Spurs | W (4-3) |
| 2014 | Heat | Spurs | L (4-1) |
| 2015 | Cavaliers | Warriors | L (4-2) |
| 2016 | Cavaliers | Warriors | W (4-3) |
| 2017 | Cavaliers | Warriors | L (4-1) |
| 2018 | Cavaliers | Warriors | ??? |
3 — James has had three head coaches in the eight Finals appearances – Erik Spoelstra (four), Tyronn Lue (three) and David Blatt (one).
4 — Entering the 2018 NBA Finals, only four NBA franchises have appeared in the NBA Finals more than eight times. Additionally, only six players have appeared in more than eight NBA Finals (not including James). Among those players – Bill Russell (12), Kareem Abdul-Jabber (10), Magic Johnson (nine) and Jerry West (nine).
8 — Notable players with fewer than eight NBA Finals appearances in their careers: Kobe Bryant (seven), Bob Cousy (seven), Michael Jordan (six), Shaquille O’Neal (six), Wilt Chamberlain (six) and Larry Bird (five)
1 — Before the start of this streak, the Cavaliers had been to one NBA Finals (with James in 2007) and the Heat had been to one NBA Finals (2006).
Game 1 between the Cavaliers and Warriors is set for 9 p.m. ET Thursday at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.