The Los Angeles Lakers are facing a potential sweep by the Oklahoma City Thunder, putting LeBron James' future with the team in question. After leading at halftime, the Lakers collapsed in the second half and now trail 3-0 in the series.
Key points
Lakers down 3-0 in the series against Thunder
LeBron James' future with the Lakers is uncertain
Lakers led at halftime but collapsed in the second half
James remains optimistic about the team's chances
Mentioned in this story
LeBron James
Los Angeles LakersOklahoma City Thunder
Could Game 4 be LeBron James' last with Lakers? What we know with LA down 3-0
The No. 4 seed Lakers led the No. 1 seed Thunder at halftime for the second straight game, but were outscored by 25 points in the second half following yet another collapse over the final two quarters to find themselves down 3-0 to the defending NBA champions.
"I'm not angry or disappointed," James told reporters postgame. "Obviously, I'm disappointed being down 3-0, but we still got life and that's all you can ask for, and we gotta be much better on Monday. We'll see what happens."
Whatever happens in Game 4, there's a chance it could be James' last in a Lakers uniform. His contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and the fact that no extension has been worked out has been at the center of a season-long soap opera filled with rumors suggesting a deterioration of his relationship with team governor Jeanie Buss. There's also been rumors to the contrary, that the Lakers would be happy to keep James in purple and gold through the remainder of his playing days.
And, of course, there's also the chance that James retires this summer.
All signs throughout the season have pointed to James playing a 24th NBA season next year, but his recent declaration that he wouldn't want a retirement tour sparked renewed speculation.
Q&A
Could Game 4 be LeBron James' last game with the Lakers?
Yes, if the Lakers lose Game 4, it could mark the end of LeBron James' tenure with the team.
What is the current series score between the Lakers and Thunder?
The Lakers are currently down 3-0 in the series against the Thunder.
What did LeBron James say after the Lakers' Game 3 loss?
LeBron James expressed disappointment about being down 3-0 but stated that the team still has life and needs to improve for Game 4.
How did the Lakers perform in the second half of Game 3?
The Lakers were outscored by 25 points in the second half of Game 3, leading to their current deficit in the series.
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Moondog performs during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena.
A member of the Cleveland Cavaliers Scream Team performs during a time out during the second half of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.
Cleveland Brows player Myles Garrett riles up the crowd during the first half of game one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.
A fan waves a towel during the second half of game one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.
Fans arrive to watch warmups before game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena.
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NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energy
Moondog performs during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena.
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NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energy
Moondog performs during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena.
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NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energy
A member of the Cleveland Cavaliers Scream Team performs during a time out during the second half of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.
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NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energy
Cleveland Brows player Myles Garrett riles up the crowd during the first half of game one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.
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NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energy
A fan waves a towel during the second half of game one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.
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NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energy
Fans arrive to watch warmups before game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena.
James' legacy as a Laker is a complicated one, but that's another story for another time. He brought a championship back to LA in his second season, ending a decade-long drought for the second-most decorated franchise in NBA history. He was the superstar who wanted the pressure of playing in LA when several in the years before 2018 eschewed what was then perceived as a dysfunctional, rebuilding team that lacked direction (remember LaMarcus Aldridge?).
Though James will probably forever be associated with the Cleveland Cavaliers first, his eight years as a Laker is his longest continuous stretch with any one team, surpassing the first seven years of his career in his home state (though he later rejoined the Cavs for four more seasons following his stint in Miami). He broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record — and several others — wearing a gold jersey.
But none of that matters right now. There's still more basketball to be played.
Both James and Austin Reaves had off nights offensively on Saturday; James contributed 19 points to go with eight assists and six rebounds, but was an inefficient 7-of-19 (36.8%) from the field and 2-of-6 from long range and was a -24 in his 37 minutes played. He and Reaves combined for eight total turnovers, half of the Lakers' total.
That's not to place the blame solely on the Lakers' two stars. Realistically, the Lakers were doomed from the moment Luka Doncic strained his hamstring on April 2 in Oklahoma City. It was James who turned back the clock and showed that he can still do incredible things on the court at 41 years old by leading LA to a first-round win over the Houston Rockets; don't forget his game-tying 3 in the final seconds to send one game to overtime, where they eventually gutted out a 112-108 win behind his 29 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
In this round, however, the Lakers have simply run into a team that's just flat-out better than them.
LeBron James, regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, entered the NBA straight out of high school as the number one pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. Take a look back at the four-time NBA champ's career from high school to the Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, back to Cleveland, and most recently with the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers heads up court agaist the Washington Wizards in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2006 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on April 22, 2006 in Cleveland, Ohio.
LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers gets in for a first quarter break away dunk in front of Antonio McDyess #24 of the Detroit Pistons in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the Palace of Auburn Hills on April 26, 2009.
LeBron James #23 and Sasha Pavlovic #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrate after James made the game winning three pointer against the Orlando Magic in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals.
LeBron James and ESPN's Jim Gray speak at the LeBron James' announcement of his decision to play for the Miami Heat at the Boys & Girls Club of America on July 8, 2010 in Greenwich, Connecticut.
LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat greets fans as he is introduced during a welcome party at American Airlines Arena on July 9, 2010 in Miami, Florida.
Chris Bosh #1, Dwyane Wade #3, and LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat are introduced to fans during a welcome party at American Airlines Arena on July 9, 2010 in Miami, Florida.
LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat dunks during a game against the Washington Wizards at American Airlines Arena on November 29, 2010 in Miami, Florida.
LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat sits on the court as court attendants mop up liquid agaisnt the Dallas Mavericks in the second half of Game Three of the 2011 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center on June 5, 2011.
July 17, 2013: LeBron James and Savannah Brinson attend the 2013 ESPY Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live.
Dec. 20, 2013: LeBron James (6) salutes before a game against the Sacramento Kings at American Airlines Arena.
Feb 27, 2014: LeBron James (6) puts on his protective mask during the first half against the New York Knicks at American Airlines Arena.
June 5, 2014: LeBron James (6) dunks the ball during the first quarter against against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals at AT&T Center.
June 15, 2014: San Antonio, TX, USA; LeBron James (6) and Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra react on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals at AT&T Center.
Sep. 26, 2014: Kevin Love (0), forward LeBron James (23) and guard Kyrie Irving (2) pose for a photo during media day at Cleveland Clinic Courts.
Oct 30, 2014: Traffic backs up outside of Quicken Loans Arena where a new LeBron James mural was installed.
Nov 14, 2014: LeBron James (23) dunks the ball against the Boston Celtics during the first half at TD Garden.
Dec. 25, 2014: Dwyane Wade sizes up LeBron James during a game at American Airlines Arena.
Apr 23, 2015: LeBron James (23) dunks against the Boston Celtics during the second half in Game 3 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden.
June 16, 2015: LeBron James (23) walks off the court after losing to the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena.
March 10, 2016: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers jokes with Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers during a 120-108 Cavaliers win at Staples Center.
June 8, 2016: LeBron James goes up for a dunk during Game 3 of the NBA Finals against Golden State.
June 19, 2016: LeBron James and Kevin Love celebrate after defeating Golden State in Game 7 of the NBA Finals for the first championship in Cavaliers history.
June 19, 2016: LeBron James (23) celebrates with Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after beating the Golden State Warriors in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena.
June 12, 2017: LeBron James goes up for a layup over Kevin Durant during Game 5 of the NBA Finals against Golden State.
Dec. 17, 2017: LeBron James wears special "Equality" shoes during a win over the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
Jan. 23, 2018: LeBron James celebrates after scoring his 30,000 career point in a game against the San Antonio Spurs. James is the seventh player in NBA history to reach the 30,000-point milestone.
February 18, 2018: LeBron James celebrates a victory against Team Stephen following the NBA All-Star Game.
Sept. 24, 2018: LeBron James speaks to media at UCLA Health Training Center before his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jan. 25, 2020: James continued him ascent up the career scoring list, passing Lakers legend Kobe Bryant for third place.
Jan. 25, 2020: After passing Bryant, James even got a standing ovation in Philadelphia, Bryant's hometown.
Jan. 31, 2020: LeBron James reacts during the national anthem after a pregame tribute to Kobe Bryant before playing the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center.
Oct. 11, 2020: LeBron James smiles while holding the NBA Finals and MVP trophies after Game 6 of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena. The Los Angeles Lakers won 106-93 to win the series against the Miami Heat.
May 30, 2021: LeBron James (23) dunks for a basket against the Phoenix Suns during the second half in game four of the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center.
Dec. 15, 2021: LeBron James (6) celebrates the win over the Dallas Mavericks during overtime at the American Airlines Center.
Feb. 7, 2023: LeBron James celebrates with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after breaking the record for all-time scoring in the NBA against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena.
March 2, 2024 : Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James acknowledges the crowd after scoring his 40,000th career point against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena in Denver.
Oct. 22, 2024: LeBron James #23 and Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers on defense during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
April 4, 2025: LeBron James #23 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers shake hands against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
LeBron James, regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, entered the NBA straight out of high school as the number one pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. Take a look back at the four-time NBA champ's career from high school to the Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, back to Cleveland, and most recently with the Los Angeles Lakers.
1 / 39
LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
LeBron James, regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, entered the NBA straight out of high school as the number one pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. Take a look back at the four-time NBA champ's career from high school to the Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, back to Cleveland, and most recently with the Los Angeles Lakers.
2 / 39
LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers heads up court agaist the Washington Wizards in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2006 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on April 22, 2006 in Cleveland, Ohio.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers gets in for a first quarter break away dunk in front of Antonio McDyess #24 of the Detroit Pistons in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the Palace of Auburn Hills on April 26, 2009.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
LeBron James #23 and Sasha Pavlovic #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrate after James made the game winning three pointer against the Orlando Magic in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
LeBron James and ESPN's Jim Gray speak at the LeBron James' announcement of his decision to play for the Miami Heat at the Boys & Girls Club of America on July 8, 2010 in Greenwich, Connecticut.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat greets fans as he is introduced during a welcome party at American Airlines Arena on July 9, 2010 in Miami, Florida.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Chris Bosh #1, Dwyane Wade #3, and LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat are introduced to fans during a welcome party at American Airlines Arena on July 9, 2010 in Miami, Florida.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat dunks during a game against the Washington Wizards at American Airlines Arena on November 29, 2010 in Miami, Florida.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat sits on the court as court attendants mop up liquid agaisnt the Dallas Mavericks in the second half of Game Three of the 2011 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center on June 5, 2011.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
July 17, 2013: LeBron James and Savannah Brinson attend the 2013 ESPY Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Dec. 20, 2013: LeBron James (6) salutes before a game against the Sacramento Kings at American Airlines Arena.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Feb 27, 2014: LeBron James (6) puts on his protective mask during the first half against the New York Knicks at American Airlines Arena.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
June 5, 2014: LeBron James (6) dunks the ball during the first quarter against against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals at AT&T Center.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
June 15, 2014: San Antonio, TX, USA; LeBron James (6) and Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra react on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals at AT&T Center.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Sep. 26, 2014: Kevin Love (0), forward LeBron James (23) and guard Kyrie Irving (2) pose for a photo during media day at Cleveland Clinic Courts.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Oct 30, 2014: Traffic backs up outside of Quicken Loans Arena where a new LeBron James mural was installed.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Nov 14, 2014: LeBron James (23) dunks the ball against the Boston Celtics during the first half at TD Garden.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Dec. 25, 2014: Dwyane Wade sizes up LeBron James during a game at American Airlines Arena.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Apr 23, 2015: LeBron James (23) dunks against the Boston Celtics during the second half in Game 3 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
June 16, 2015: LeBron James (23) walks off the court after losing to the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
March 10, 2016: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers jokes with Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers during a 120-108 Cavaliers win at Staples Center.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
June 8, 2016: LeBron James goes up for a dunk during Game 3 of the NBA Finals against Golden State.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
June 19, 2016: LeBron James and Kevin Love celebrate after defeating Golden State in Game 7 of the NBA Finals for the first championship in Cavaliers history.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
June 19, 2016: LeBron James (23) celebrates with Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after beating the Golden State Warriors in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
June 12, 2017: LeBron James goes up for a layup over Kevin Durant during Game 5 of the NBA Finals against Golden State.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Dec. 17, 2017: LeBron James wears special "Equality" shoes during a win over the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Jan. 23, 2018: LeBron James celebrates after scoring his 30,000 career point in a game against the San Antonio Spurs. James is the seventh player in NBA history to reach the 30,000-point milestone.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
February 18, 2018: LeBron James celebrates a victory against Team Stephen following the NBA All-Star Game.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Sept. 24, 2018: LeBron James speaks to media at UCLA Health Training Center before his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Jan. 25, 2020: James continued him ascent up the career scoring list, passing Lakers legend Kobe Bryant for third place.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Jan. 25, 2020: After passing Bryant, James even got a standing ovation in Philadelphia, Bryant's hometown.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Jan. 31, 2020: LeBron James reacts during the national anthem after a pregame tribute to Kobe Bryant before playing the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Oct. 11, 2020: LeBron James smiles while holding the NBA Finals and MVP trophies after Game 6 of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena. The Los Angeles Lakers won 106-93 to win the series against the Miami Heat.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
May 30, 2021: LeBron James (23) dunks for a basket against the Phoenix Suns during the second half in game four of the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Dec. 15, 2021: LeBron James (6) celebrates the win over the Dallas Mavericks during overtime at the American Airlines Center.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Feb. 7, 2023: LeBron James celebrates with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after breaking the record for all-time scoring in the NBA against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
March 2, 2024 : Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James acknowledges the crowd after scoring his 40,000th career point against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena in Denver.
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LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
Oct. 22, 2024: LeBron James #23 and Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers on defense during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
39 / 39
LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend
April 4, 2025: LeBron James #23 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers shake hands against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
They've done an admirable job limiting MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but Chet Holmgren has thrived. So has Ajay Mitchell, who has stepped into a bigger role while Jalen Williams has been sidelined with a hamstring strain of his own. Mitchell led OKC on Saturday with 24 points, 10 assists, four rebounds and three steals. Jared McCain and Cason Wallace have been sparkplugs off the bench all series. The Thunder are simply too talented and too deep across the board for the Lakers to compete with for all four quarters, especially without the NBA's leading scorer this season in Doncic.
"They're pretty damn good, from top to bottom," James told reporters. "They don't let their foot off the gas. ... They have a lot of bodies and they got a lot of guys who can do multiple things on the floor, so it helps to have that depth."
As for the possibility that Monday might be it?
"Nah, you don't really talk about that," James told reporters. "Just focus on the moment, and go from there."
