Before Monday, a team led by LeBron James had never lost 2-0 in the first round of the NBA playoffs. But that’s the position James found himself in after his Lakers lost to the Nuggets.
There’s a good explanation for James’ current predicament.
Since “The King” first made the playoffs in 2005-06, his teams have been the top seed in the first round every year except for his last three appearances.
As Father Time caught up with James, his teams struggled in the bottom half of the standings, leading him to face tougher opponents early in the playoffs.
In 2021, for example, his seventh-seeded Lakers ran into the second-seeded Suns. But they avoided losing 2-0 and lost the series in six games. Then, in 2023, the seventh-seeded Lakers faced the Grizzlies in the first round and pulled off a “surprise” against an inexperienced team. In 2024, however, James came up against the 57-win defending champion Nuggets. And to the surprise of some, James’ first-round streak is over, even though his team blew a 20-point lead.
Overall, James’ teams have lost 2-0 in the playoffs nine times, going 3-5 on the previous eight occasions (all in the second round or beyond).
Of the three times James’ teams came back from a 2-0 deficit, the 2016 NBA Finals was the most memorable as the Cavs battled back 3-1 to knock out the Warriors. There was also the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons, when the Cavs won four in a row to advance to the NBA Finals.
Could a James-led team manage to come back from a 2-0 deficit for the fourth time? Against these Denver Nuggets? Big chance.
