For the first time in his 23 seasons, LeBron James missed opening night, sitting out due to the sciatica that had sidelined him through training camp and the preseason.

Rather than hearing his name called by Lawrence Tanter and then doing his signature chalk toss before facing off against the Warriors, James sat in his elevated chair at the end of the Lakers bench in a black suit…and then was heavily scrutinized for his stone-faced non-reactions to nearly every play (good, and bad) that evening.

It was a reminder that James moves the needle whether he plays or not. His every action — or in this case, inaction — becomes fodder for the basketball (non)intelligentsia who understand the relationship between controversy and consumption.

Though to be fair to the media too, it was also a remin

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