LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers dropped two consecutive games to the Houston Rockets. The back-to-back losses reduced a commanding 3-0 series lead to a precarious 3-2 margin.
A potential first-round elimination now threatens to alter the historical narrative surrounding the league’s oldest active player.
Stephen A. Smith Argues Blowing 3–0 Lead Would Hurt LeBron James’ Legacy
Expectations for Los Angeles plummeted before the playoffs even began. The roster missed Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves for much of the first round. James took complete control of the offense to build the initial series advantage. The 41-year-old forward led from the front and dominated the opening matchups.
He opened the series with 19 points, 13 assists, and 8 rebounds in Game 1, followed by 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in Game 2, and 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists in Game 3, all Lakers wins.
He struggled in Game 4, finishing with just 10 points, 9 assists, and 4 rebounds, but bounced back in Game 5 with 25 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds. Reaves added 22 points in his return, but Houston still managed to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
Stephen A. Smith acknowledged both James’ performance and the unlikely scenario of a complete collapse. He also made it clear that blowing a 3-0 lead would have a negative impact on his legacy.
“Age 41, 23rd season in the NBA. No Luka, just got Austin Reaves back. Ain’t even supposed to be in this position,” Smith said. “And at 41 years of age in his 23rd season, he’s been balling. He just looked flat last night. But what are we to make of it? Inquiring minds want to know.”
“Because if you think for one second that that’s not going to be held against his legacy, surrendering a 3-0 lead, y’all got your head in the sand. There is no way on earth that that’s going to happen.”
For now, this remains purely speculative. With their backs against the wall, James and the Lakers may well have closed out the series by tonight and set up a Western Conference semifinal matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Smith holds a completely contradictory view regarding the late-career failures of other historical greats. The analyst recently argued that Michael Jordan’s tenure with the Washington Wizards should not factor into the debate over who is the greatest of all time. Applying that same logic to a 41-year-old playing a record 23rd season reveals a massive inconsistency in sports media discourse.
The Lakers will travel to Houston for Game 6 with the momentum entirely in Houston’s favor. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET. The winner of this series will advance to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. Los Angeles must find a way to finish the job tonight, or James will spend the entire offseason fighting an unwinnable narrative battle.
