Could this not have waited two weeks?
Update 9/25/22: If it was obvious from the beginning that the hype surrounding a Kobe vs. LeBron finals was immature, that was unmistakably true once the Orlando Magic upset the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals and dashed the hopes of ESPN/ABC and the advertisers (and surely the league as well). Bryant and James never met in an NBA Finals, with Kobe’s back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010 coming against Orlando and Boston. James’ four titles as of 2022 came against Oklahoma City and San Antonio (with Miami), Golden State (with Cleveland), and Miami (with, of all teams, the Lakers).
