From Lerigged to LeVegas: NBA fans bombard LeBron James with hilarious nicknames as he inspires Lakers to NBA Cup final

LeBron James was unstoppable on Thursday night as he led the LA Lakers to an emphatic 133-89 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in Las Vegas. That helped the 17-time champions clinch their spot in the Championship game of the NBA In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas on Saturday, where they face the Indiana Pacers, who beat the Milwaukee Bucks 128-119 in the first semfinal.

James had 30 points, five rebounds and eight assists for the winners, on 9/12 from the field and 4/4 from beyond the arc. The four-time champion and all-time scoring leader spent only 22 minutes on the floor.

NBA fans used some hilarious nicknames to describe his performance in the semifinal.

[Highlight] Lebron makes THREE Le-F-You triples in a row and the crowd goes wild! byu/fbreaker innba

"L Train"

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"LeThanos"

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"LeHeatCheck"

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"LeLogo-3 is back on the menu bois"

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"LeGoat"

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"LeVegas"

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"LeTakeOver"

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"Lerigged"

LeBron James

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Lakers coach calls LeBron James' performance vs the Pelicans 'extraordinary'

LeBron James dominated the New Orleans Pelicans and will have a chance to claim the inaugural NBA Cup.

His 30-point performance in 22 minutes of action got high praise from Lakers coach Darvin Ham, who called it 'extraordinary'.

"I’m a simple guy, man, so I’ll stick to one word: extraordinary. Extraordinary, otherworldly. One of one. That’s a phrase. That’s not a word, but he’s the ultimate tone-setter, man," Darvin Ham said, via Yahoo Sports.

"Without question, without question, the way he impacts winning, what he's doing at this stage of his career, without question, that’s a no-brainer."

James' teammate, Austin Reaves, also had nothing but good words to say about the "King" and the way he plays, admitting that it gives extra motivation to the team.

"Any time your best player sacrifices his body, takes three charges in the first half, especially with Zion coming down the paint, it sets a tone. That shows to everybody else how locked in he is to win this, and how locked in he is (in) every game," Reaves said, via NBA.com.

LeBron James and the Lakers take on a young Indiana Pacers team that has exceeded expectations and seeks to go all the way. With Tyrese Haliburton leading them, the Pacers eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks and have a golden opportunity to claim the inaugural NBA Cup.

Meanwhile, following their win over the Pelicans, the Lakers improved to 14-9 on the season and have won three straight games while Indiana is on a three-game winning streak, with a 12-8 season record.