The NBA is very superstar driven league, that isn't really news to anyone.
I'm still failing to see the problem with LeBron saying he would have liked to play Kobe in the NBA finals. They're two of the greatest to ever play the game, of course LeBron would have liked the opportunity to go up against another one of the greats, he's a competitor and it would have been a great challenge to him, and it would have been a great spectacle to see two arguably top ten talents ever go against each other.
Your explanation for why this wouldn't happen in other leagues is because the players can't dictate what goes down, yeah the big name players have a lot of power in the NBA, but what on earth does that have to do with LeBron saying he wishes he could have played Kobe in the finals? it's not like he gets to dictate finals matchups lol. If he had that type of power he could have orchestrated a LeBron/Kobe finals.
Look at the type of stuff he actually said
"I didn't hold up my end of the bargain in 2009 for the fans, for us, to meet in the Finals,"
"I know the world wanted to see it. I wanted it, we wanted it. He held up his end and I didn't hold up my end, and I hate that. I hate that that didn't happen."
Oh no, LeBron wishes he made the finals when he didn't, what an egotistical maniac. The NBA is going down the drain.
What a disgusting league we have today when LeBron is disappointed that he didn't make the finals and missed the opportunity to face off against a player he grew up idolizing.
He basically went in great detail about how Kobe inspired him and motivated him and that he basically revered Kobe, but yeah he was just "whining" that they never met in the finals lol.