The Los Angeles Lakers fought hard and showed a lot of pride, but they couldn’t get the job done.
The Denver Nuggets were better at most aspects of the game, and they just had that burst of confidence and motivation that comes with teams poised to win an NBA championship.
Notably, not having the Lakers in the NBA Finals could be a huge loss to the league in terms of ratings, but that’s not the only massive loss they might face.
“I got a lot to think about… Just for me personally, going forward with the game of basketball. I got a lot to think about.” LeBron James following tonight’s game. pic.twitter.com/pt1oTgk2gl
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) May 23, 2023
Following the loss, LeBron James weighed in on his future in the league for the first time in his career, obviously prompting plenty of reactions on social media.
Lebron honestly has nothing left to prove. AD & Ham made him work harder than he needed to more often than not. Never knowing which AD was gonna show and not leaving it all on the floor every night. If Lebron walks away, he’ll leave as the 🐐 and the NBA is finished when he does
— Cueselite (@cueselite) May 23, 2023
Comeback strong Lakers, LAKERS LOSE AND OUR SEASON IS OVER. I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS TEAM #LAKESHOW 💔
— BasketBall_Fans (@RadityaNando1) May 23, 2023
In a season full of drama and stories, I guess it is poetic that DEN was our first win of the season and our last loss of the season. To preview next year, we have this from Lebron. Most likely he will be back but we will see Lebron aware that he’s closer to the end.
— Jords (@jordsantiago) May 23, 2023
Some believe getting swept is another stain on LeBron’s legacy, while others believe he’s got nothing left to prove at this point.
James is one of the most — if not the most — accomplished players in NBA history, and the Lakers weren’t even supposed to make it this far after starting off the season 2-10.
For the first time ever, James actually looked human and tired in the playoffs.
It’s evident that he can no longer be the team’s go-to guy night in and night out, and that’s perfectly fine at his age.
The Lakers have a lot of figuring out to do, from convincing James to run it back and surround him with a supporting cast that allows him to stay fresh for the playoffs, to deciding whether Anthony Davis is the guy they want as their franchise player going forward.
For now, NBA fans will surely hope that James comes back for a farewell tour.
NEXT:
Brian Windhorst Drops A Major Lakers Offseason Rumor
