NBA may have stolen LeBron James's final night in Boston

Los Angeles Lakers v Boston Celtics, LeBron James. | Maddie Meyer/GettyImagesThe NBA turned the league's marquee rivalry, and perhaps, the most iconic one in sports, into a shell of itself. The Boston Celtics welcomed the Los Angeles Lakers for a Friday night rivalry clash at TD Garden. It's a matchup that is supposed to celebrate the Association's history. It's typically an electric evening. This time, it flatlined.

Both teams arrived playing in the second half of a back-to-back. The scheduling effect of the NBA Cup is to blame. Still, it didn't need to be this way. It's baffling that the league would greenlight a decision that undercuts such a valuable promotion on its regular-season…