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LeBron James and the Cavaliers face the Knicks in their season opener Thursday night.
The NBA has made its fans wait patiently for its biggest, most intriguing storyline of the year.
Finally, Thursday night, LeBron James will take the court with his hometown team and rebuilt roster to take on the New York Knicks. The game will be televised on TNT, and it is sure to draw a big audience. Just how big will the event be? Ask LeBron:
One of the biggest ever? That seems like a stretch, although Cleveland has apparently been preparing for it as such:
Perhaps the event itself isn't one of the biggest ever, but the ramifications of James' return home might be. The Cavaliers have built the NBA's newest Big 3 around James, Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving, and they are expected to be championship contenders for the foreseeable future.
The city of Cleveland will also profit: The Economist predicted that James' return could be worth up to $500 million in revenue for the city.