It’s shocking but LeBron James’ legacy is on the line

There are a few things that are axiomatic in the NBA. 

Steph Curry is going to make inhuman shots. Nikola Jokic is going to have a statline that looks fake. And LeBron James’ legacy is etched in stone. 

Stunningly, the last sentence could be under examination if things go awry for the Lakers. 

The Lakers’ 3-0 series lead against the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs has been turned on its head after two straight losses. Suddenly the Lakers are only up 3-2 with Game 6 Friday in Houston. 

Teams that have been up 3-0 are 159-0. Only four of them have reached a Game 7. 

Could you imagine if a LeBron James-led team was the first to be on the wrong side of history?

That would be so shocking, so unprecedented, so powerfully bad that it could dent something that was previously considered bulletproof. 

His legacy. 

For James, the narrative has wildly swung.

Initially, the storyline around this series could only bolster his lofty resume. 

If the oldest person in the NBA (age 41) could lead a depleted roster (without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves) past the Rockets, that would be his most stunning achievement. 

He had nothing to lose. 

No one expected the Lakers to win. But then James did what he does and put the team on his shoulders. It was incredible to watch. 

But it was a double-edged sword. 

The Lakers started slipping. A new storyline was born. 

Is arguably the greatest player of all-time going to be part of the most epic playoff collapse ever?

James desperately tried to stomp out that flame in Game 5. 

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After only scoring eight points in the first half, he closed the game with another 17 points. He led the Lakers on an 11-1 run to cut a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to three points. 

But he missed some big shots late in the game, including all three of his 3-point attempts, and he had a key turnover against Reed Sheppard. 

Sure, the Lakers have two more attempts to win a game and avoid being the biggest blight in playoff history. But it’s obvious that this team is losing steam and the Rockets are gaining confidence. 

A storm is brewing. 

This isn’t James’ fault. He has been the best player on the court in every game this series except for his disappearing act in Game 4. He has once again made our jaws drop. 

The only player in NBA history to reach season 23 is still a superstar. 

But if the Lakers lose, James will shoulder all of the blame. 

You can already hear the pundits’ rumblings being seeded and watered. How could he let this happen? Michael Jordan would’ve never permitted this. 

James has two games to stop the bleeding. 

Reaves, who returned in Game 5 after missing a month because of an oblique injury, better quickly find his rhythm to help his teammate or else he’s going to be involuntarily complicit in the James battering. 

Reaves had 22 points and six assists on Thursday, but he was 1-for-8 from the field in the fourth quarter. 

Luke Kennard, who averaged 25 points in the first two games of the series, didn’t make a single field goal. Marcus Smart, who was the best defender on the court in the first three games, was a pole.

James isn’t panicking. 

“Try to flush this one,” James said after the Lakers’ 99-93 loss Thursday.

James has carried 10 teams to the NBA Finals, winning four championships. 

He orchestrated the greatest comeback in NBA history, leading the Cavaliers to claw their way back from a 3-1 series deficit in the 2016 Finals to win their first title over the dynasty Warriors. 

He’s the league’s all-time leading scorer. 

He has continually thrived under a magnifying glass in pressure-filled moments. He has nothing left to prove.

For him, this is nothing. This is the first round of the playoffs. This is a 3-2 series lead. 

But it’s also everything.  

If the Lakers lose, this would forever haunt him. This would eternally enter barbershop chats. This would be a deep stain on his unbelievable career.

It’s shocking that James is in this position at this stage in his career. 

But his legacy is on the line.

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