LeBron James will have to endure a long offseason of people questioning his greatness from the comfort of their couches and game controllers despite willing the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers to the Western Conference Finals. The Denver Nuggets, the top-seeded team in the Western Conference, swept the Lakers in their best-of-seven series and some NBA fans are unfairly making LeBron James the fall guy.
LeBron James, who turns 39 this year, spent years carrying the Cleveland Cavaliers on his shoulders and doing so at an elite level for years. After two decades of basketball, wear and tear is natural and the high-flying exploits aren’t there every night but all of the greats have off nights.
James didn’t have an off night on Monday, leading all scorers with 40 points and remaining on the floor for the entire game. James supporting cast of Davis and Reaves did what they could but they were outmatched by Nikola Jokic, who led all Nuggets scorers with 30 along with 13 assists and 14 rebounds, and Jamal Murray, who poured in 25 points and was electrifying in the WCF.
You don’t even need to be a fan of James or his team to realize what he was able to do while pushing the age of 40 is incredible. There are a few NBA players who spent 20 seasons in the league and many of them are in the Basketball Hall of Fame. James will join those ranks once he decides to hang up his sneakers for good and hopefully, he holds off on doing so after the bitter sting of the loss settles down.
The comparisons to the great Michael Jordan are inevitable and people making a case for LeBron being an inferior player will have all their stats ready for an imaginary showdown neither man asked for.
The jeers from the armchair athletes of the world will cease to matter and besides, anyone who needs to take off their shoes and then put them in their laps to tie them can’t rightly call LeBron James a bum.
But they’re certainly going to try.
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Photo: Getty
1.
Only LeBron can score 40 and play critical defense, playing all 48min in year20 with by far the most miles on his body on a foot that needs surgery and be heavily scrutinized
Heavy is the head that wears the crown
No one has had half the expectations of the one and only true
— Shane (@Shane00) May 23, 2023
2.
1) retire for a year
2) watch Bronny at USC
3) recharge the body
4) come back in 2024
5) sign with whatever team drafts Bronnynot a bad strategy at all, to be honest. and he wouldnt end his career getting swept. LeBron is not going to end his career getting swept, right? right? https://t.co/zJ2L7NSD5T
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 23, 2023
3.
all jokes aside … y’all realize Lebron James is 38 YEARS OLD, right?
— Ashley Nicole Moss (@AshNicoleMoss) May 23, 2023
4.
The right-wing loves to hate LeBron James.
…they never mind making money or a point off his name, either.
pic.twitter.com/HZdLuR3ujp
— Ryan Shead (@RyanShead) May 23, 2023
5.
LeBron James is 38 years old and in Year 20. Respectfully, please stfu with that “this affects his legacy” talk. He’s BEEN solidified as Top 2 all-time. Nothing changes.
— GOWIE (@DaKidGowie) May 23, 2023
6.
Lebron James has never blew a 3-1 lead in the Nba playoffs
https://t.co/PM5JV0Dv8u pic.twitter.com/uDGZ3xuWNH
— َ (@HoodiGuWop) May 23, 2023
7.
LeBron James' 31 points are the most he's scored in a half in his playoff career.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) May 23, 2023
8.
The last remaining player from LeBron James’ draft class retired Monday.
He responded by playing 47 minutes and 55.7 seconds while posting a 40-10-9 in the Western Conference Finals.
He may have lost, but what he did in Year 20 will never be repeated. Completely unprecedented.
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) May 23, 2023
9.
LeBron with 31 points in the first half of a must-win game, resting only four seconds and playing motivated defense to lead the Lakers.
All in Year 20 at age 38. A reminder:
Don’t take LeBron James for granted. pic.twitter.com/kGubS31sig
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 23, 2023
10.
LeBron James in the 4Q:
2 PTS
Enjoy Cancun
— BrickMuse (@BrickMuse) May 23, 2023
11.
Lebron James went out swinging like expected… left it all out there on both ends of the floor. Can’t do nothing but salute the 38 year old
for 40-10-9 performance all tho his team felt short.
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 23, 2023
12.
LeBron James tonight:
40 Points
10 Rebounds
9 Assists
2 Steals
60% FGDid all he could. pic.twitter.com/tyaXI53uRp
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 23, 2023
13.
LeBron James will enter Year 21 still behind Michael Jordan in rings despite playing 7 more seasons. The GOAT debate that should've never been ends TONIGHT. pic.twitter.com/QdhIGXLgm8
— BossHogg (@6Hogg6) May 23, 2023
14.
On the real, you can't have your best player on the floor be 38. I don't care if it's an all-time great like LeBron. This is where AD catches a lot of heat. You are 30 and in your prime. At the very least you have to keep Joker honest when he's on defense. That's the L.
— Keith Murphy (@murphdogg29) May 23, 2023
15.
DAMN.
Bron played ALL 48 tonight .
40/10/9 for the
This will be his theme song for the summer.
pic.twitter.com/toOYheU5Pd
— NewDemocrat4Life (@reesetheone1) May 23, 2023
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