After the Lakers lost Game 3 of the Western Conference finals to the Nuggets Saturday night, LeBron James had one simple message to his team that now faces a nearly impossible task: overcoming a 3–0 series deficit.
“Just gotta get one,” James said after the 119–108 loss. “Just one at a time. Just focus on Game 4 and that’s all you can really think about.”
No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3–0 deficit, but James has this historic achievement in his sights.
“That’s the only mindset for me,” James said on possibly making history in this playoff series.
LeBron James speaks on the mentality the team needs to come back in the series. pic.twitter.com/D3cocyELX2
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) May 21, 2023
James has made plenty of history throughout his storied 20-year NBA career. Of course, the most comparable accomplishment to this scenario was when James’s 2016 Cavaliers team became the first squad in NBA Finals history to ever overcome a 3–1 deficit. The historic comeback was made all the more legendary because it was against the 73–9 Warriors team that was just one win away from cementing itself as the best NBA team ever. Though a different team and version of James, it’s still possible.
Despite Denver’s dominance, the 38-year-old has all the faith in the world that his team will still advance to the Finals. Game 4 is set for Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
