NBA. LeBron James’ alarming body language triggers retirement speculation after Warriors loss
NBA. Caitlin Clark’s haters are put to shame by LeBron James after Iowa vs South Carolina
The 2023/24 season has been a rollercoaster for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Expectations were high following a run to the Western Conference Finals last year, and LeBron James guided them through the inaugural NBA Cup in December — leading many to proclaim Los Angeles as a championship threat come spring.
But if the Lakers are to win their second championship since 2020, they are going to have to do it the hard way.
LA has to navigate through the NBA Play-In Tournament — and a potential matchup with a nightmare opponent awaits should LeBron push the Lakers into the playoffs proper.
Last season, the Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime to secure the #7 seed after a disappointing 43-39 regular season.
What happened next took many by surprise — the Lakers knocked out the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies before James overcame his longtime nemesis, the Golden State Warriors, in the second round.
But the well finally ran dry in the conference finals, when the eventual champion Denver Nuggets swept the Lakers out of the playoffs in Los Angeles.
A similar scenario looks set to repeat itself this season. With two games remaining, the Lakers (45-35) are the ninth seed in the West, one-half game behind the Sacramento Kings for the #8 seed.
The uncertainty over seeding is common around the NBA, with only one of the potential 20 postseason teams locked in to their seed entering Thursday’s action.
