LeBron James’ agent has defended the basketball star as the Los Angeles Lakers teeter on the edge of a historic collapse in tonight’s NBA playoffs.
James’ legacy and GOAT claim are on the line tonight as the Los Angeles Lakers look to avoid a historic collapse in the NBA playoffs, prompting his agent to defend the basketball star.
The Lakers will face off against the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of their first round series, with the LeBron James-led team now on the verge of blowing a 3-0 lead after losses in the preceding two clashes.
The series is currently scored 3-2 in favour of the Lakers, with tonight’s game taking place on Houston’s home turf, and James’ legacy is in serious peril.
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No team in NBA history has ever blown a 3-0 series lead in playoffs history, and the 41-year-old is in danger of leading the first team ever to do so.
Rich Paul, James’ long-time friend and agent, has discussed the implications of the Lakers losing the series and how it pertains to the basketball icon’s storied legacy.
Talking to Max Kellerman on the Game Over podcast, Paul described how the 41-year-old’s “etched in stone” legacy should no longer be a subject of debate, and took aim at ex-professionals downplaying James’ greatness.
“I see a lot of guys who talk. I want to come up with a rule, if you weren’t better than the player you’re talking about, you shouldn’t be able to talk about him,” said Paul.
“That’d eliminate 99.9% of the ex-players who talk about him,” he continued.
The Houston Rockets are two wins away from making NBA history, with 159 series’ seeing 3-0 leads but never a single comeback made for any franchise on the receiving end.
Stephen A. Smith, American sports personality and NBA expert, described the impact that a series loss could have on James’ legacy, telling fans “your head’s in the sand” if they think it wouldn’t be used against the 41-year-old.
Smith said: “At 41 years of age in his 23rd season, he’s been balling. He just looked flat [last game]... if you think for one second that’s not going to be held against his legacy, surrendering a 3-0 lead, y’all got your head in the sand.”
James is averaging 22 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in the NBA play-offs ahead of tonight’s Game 6 against the Houston Rockets.
Rockets superstar Kevin Durant was revealed this morning to be unavailable for the clash, having already missed Games 1, 3, 4 and 5, so the LeBron James-led Lakers will have to win tonight if they want to avoid not just a Game 7 and possible Rockets comeback, but also the return of their opposition’s highest scorer.
Topics: Lebron James, Houston Rockets, Basketball
Kedar Bayley