David Griffin: ‘LeBron is the only player in the NBA whose presence alone makes you a Finals contender’

New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James saw their careers coalesce on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The executive recently said James is the only player in the NBA whose presence alone launches a team into the NBA Finals zone.

“I’ve never really been able to say unequivocally ‘go flip the switch,’” Griffin told The Ringer. “LeBron is the only player in the NBA whose presence alone makes you a Finals contender. So when LeBron came back to Cleveland, it was time to rock and roll.”

James, 36, won the fourth championship of his career with the Lakers in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Fla. last season.

The veteran became the first player in league history to win an NBA Finals MVP trophy with three different franchises. He’s been to a whopping 10 NBA Finals over the course of his reign in the association.

As a matter of fact, James appeared in eight consecutive NBA Finals from 2011 to 2018. During that span, the four-time MVP conducted four of those showings with the Miami Heat and another four with the Cavs.

Of course, Griffin and James famously shared the 2016 championship over the star-studded Golden State Warriors.

The Lakers beat the Cavs by a score of 115-108 on Monday evening. James erupted for 46 points, eight rebounds and six assists to help the Lakers go 10-0 on the road this season.