Has LeBron James ever been swept in NBA playoffs? Closer look at LA Lakers star’s postseason record

LeBron James has one of the greatest playoff resumes in NBA history. The four-time MVP has been known for elevating his game standard in the playoffs. But there have been multiple occasions when the LA Lakers star has been swept in the playoffs.

The first time it happened was in the 2007 NBA Finals when LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers faced the San Antonio Spurs.

James had a decent team around him against Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Unable to contain some of the best players in the game, James and the Cavaliers were swept by the Spurs.

The second time the four-time NBA champion was swept was in the 2018 NBA Finals. The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the mighty Golden State Warriors, loaded with Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

Last year, in the 2022-23 NBA playoffs, the Lakers star faced one of the worst defeats of his career. The Denver Nuggets swept LA in the Western Conference Finals. Nikola Jokic was awarded the Conference Finals MVP.

Will Nuggets sweep LeBron James' Lakers again?

The Lakers faced the Denver Nuggets in the opening round of the 2023-24 playoffs. LA lost Game 1 despite the dominant performances of Anthony Davis and LeBron James.

Given how dominant the Nuggets are compared to the Lakers, there is a legitimate chance they might get swept by the Nuggets. Behind stellar performances by James and Davis in the first two quarters, the Lakers led the game by halftime. However, the Nuggets outplayed them by big numbers in the last two quarters.

Denver has the upper hand over the Lakers in terms of team depth. They have arguably the best players in the league, who control the game well.

Compared to the Nuggets, except James and Davis, other role players have not been able to perform as well as they were expected to. D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves have been struggling against the Nuggets' defense. Moreover, Davis has the toughest assignment on both ends of the floor, which might be too much for him.

LeBron James is 39 now, and expecting him to dominate on the offense is not the most reliable idea. In Game 1, the four-time NBA champion looked exhausted, and Darvin Ham and Co. will have to address that in the upcoming matchups.

Compared to last season, the Lakers have a healthier roster this season. If the role players make good contributions on both ends of the floor, they might have a chance against the Nuggets.