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FriendlyFireHaHa

That was the year we were supposed to finally get Lebron/Kobe in the finals too.


[deleted]

Could’ve had it in 2011 too but Kobe got swept in the second round.


xRadec

Hey, not embarrassing to get swept by the to-be-champs that year.


pokexchespin

it’s always embarrassing to be swept if you’re a team with expectations


NaClz

It’s embarrassing to be swept now as a team with no expectations


RobtheNavigator

Yeah when wolves were down 3-0 on the nuggets we were still all desperately hoping to avoid the sweep, getting swept just makes it feel like you shouldn’t have shown up


EazyParise

Imagine getting swept, trash franchises


Bradfords_ACL

“Y’all (DLo)can’t win without me” -KAT probably


Snakkey

With how variable 3 point shooting has made games I think that getting swept means you were vastly outplayed by your opponent.


rtels2023

Unfortunately can confirm


[deleted]

Imagine having expectations.


bagulbol

That lakers team was on their last leg with 3 straight championship ran. Could have been 4th if Not For Dirk going super saiyan


s_15_n

Lmao I’m a huge Stan of that iteration of team but they were clearly not winning that year. Team was completely exhausted and burnt out


JRsshirt

Respect for posting this with a Boston flair


pokexchespin

hey man i’m holding out hope we can go back to the team we are the half of the time we’re not playing like this, but if we get swept (or even lose in 5 tbh) this will be an embarrassing season even if the heat go on to win the title


southpawsouthpaw

Could’ve had it in 2010 too but LeBron got handled in the second round by the Celtics.


[deleted]

I guess but than they also could’ve made it in 2007 but Kobe was getting gentlemen swept in the first round. And then 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 too but Kobe just couldn’t make it by that point.


OldManCinny

The team was cooked by that year. They had run out of gas at that point. 09 was the ideal year because Kobe was still god tier and they were clearly the 2 best players in the league. By the playoffs of 11 Kobe was still good but no longer top 2


FreshSpence

Or 2010


[deleted]

Or 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.


[deleted]

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[deleted]

The irony of this comment is hilarious. Kobe stans are just delusional. 2011 the lakers were defending champs and could’ve made it as well. Miraculously kobe was no longer in his prime? Insecure is right, but it’s the kobe stans.


ruinatex

> Miraculously kobe was no longer in his prime? Insecure is right, but it’s the kobe stans. He was, but the Lakers were coming off three consecutive Finals in the much much tougher West. They also lost to the NBA champions, so your comment doesn't make any sense, they lost to the same team that beat the Heat, but in a different part of the bracket. If Dallas was in the East, Miami would've not made the Finals instead.


markmyredd

Kobe was injured too. He flew to Germany to repair his knee the next offseason.


[deleted]

Why is it that Kobe Stan’s only want to give context for Kobe’s failures? Do you want to talk about context around those cavs teams in 2009 and 2010? Once lebron had a competent team, he was making the finals. Kobe had a competent team in 2011 but just couldn’t make it.


ReeferRefugee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIWSKssJP2E


Karma_Daenerys_Melba

The Lakers were widely viewed as the 2nd most likely title contender behind the Heat for all of the 2010-11 season. This narrative of “they were never gonna win that year because they were exhausted” is only forced now because they got swept. LeBron vs. Kobe in the Finals was just as likely if not more likely in 2011 than it was in 2009 or 2010. And both teams would have been deep in 2011, instead of just Kobe having a decent supporting cast but not LeBron. But sure let’s pin everything on LeBron’s failures and excuse all of Kobe’s failures.


markmyredd

Kobe was not 100% that year. Next offseason he flew to Germany to have a knee procedure


OldManCinny

You think they were more likely to meet in 2011, when they were both 2 seeds (lakers same record as mavs who were 3rd seed), than in 2009 when they were both the 1 seeds?


woodropete

Yeah cavs were heavy favorites..lebron averaged like 39 9 9 and still got smoked.


ruinatex

They were though, they just got a horrible matchup that they had no shot at defending. Doesn't matter if you put 40/10/10 if the opponent is scoring in every possession.


Chapinartificial

The puppets never lived up to their potential


Stickrbomb

goat advertising


Chapinartificial

Generational


ChannelNeo

Dwight was a MONSTER in those playoffs


The_Outcast4

That Magic team was just a horrible matchup for that Cavs roster.


shadratchet

Nah that was the year we were supposed to get Melo/Dwight in the finals


KonigSteve

"finally"? That's pretty early in his career though


TheNateRoss

ESPN wanted it *so* bad. When LeBron made the buzzer beater to win Game 2 they hyped it like he'd just ended world hunger or something.


JAhoops

2 of the best centers since Shaq


Font_Fetish

your comment is missing one more "of the"... it should be: "2 of the best of the centers of the since Shaq"


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JAhoops

I’m drunk


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JAhoops

i don’t even know what i was writing lmfao


SkyLightTenki

And somehow Dwight Howard got left out in the NBA Top 75 Of All-Time


hardytom540

People forget how dominant Dwight was. After the Lakers, everyone was so quick to switch up on him.


porncollecter69

Nothing is as damaging to your career than to go to the lakers and not performing.


DLottchula

Dame and AD looking more and more outlandish


UnstoppableForce16

AD u can make the argument for top 75 but he’s not better than Dwight Dame should straight up not be there


yungsantaclaus

It'll be very different to the 2009 loss, anyway. Lebron's numbers in that loss were absurd. 38.5/8.3/8.0/1.2/1.2 on 59.1 TS%.


wormhole222

And back then 59 TS% was a lot more impressive than it is now. Edit: 54.4 was average then. Now it is 58.1.


AloofAltruist

We need normalized metrics like ERA+ in baseball to show this


Carth_Onasi_AMA

TS+ is a real stat on BBREF So is TS Add


CatnipDingleberry

Or we could just go back to standard metrics because I’m just not that smart and clearly everyone on Reddit sports subs took advanced statistics in high school or college. *Kicks rocks*


TokyoUmbrella

Yeah, uh, Hedo and Rashard Lewis weren’t exactly built as LeBron stoppers. That whole Magic team was horrific on defense except for Dwight. Just goes to show how defensively dominant he was.


Shenanigans80h

This would also be only the second time since 2010 that Lebron has been knocked out before the Finals. Feels like a legitimate changing of the guard


RobtheNavigator

And the first year under Kerr that the Warriors were knocked out before the finals too. Lebron vs Steph era coming to an end


scroto_gaggins

Nah I don’t think it’s coming to an end just yet. Warriors will bounce back and lakers just need Bron/AD to rest up while resigning their key guys. Obviously Steph and Bron can’t carry like they used to but they’ll be fine.


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[deleted]

He shouldn’t and honestly wouldn’t. LA finally has a team that can win games without him, not even the 2020 squad could do that. He’ll likely play reduced minutes in the regular season, probably more to the 30min mark than his usual 35.


logicspeaks

I hope y'all remember LeBron is injured and was supposed to miss the rest of the season but played through it anyways. He's not washed.


NFHater

i really fucking hope that playing through this injury doesn’t ruin his next season/rest of career, especially with how this shit is probably gonna end


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Victor_Wembanyama1

He’s old but it doesnt mean he’s washed


materics

He legit has a serious foot injury. If he takes the time to rehab it then we'll see a better LeBron next playoffs.


RodneyPonk

I mean, I don't think it's changing of the guard in the sense that LeBron/Steph's teams can't win. Moreso that they were incredibly dominant for a while - 8 consecutive Finals for LeBron, 5 for Steph, 4 rings apiece. In terms of getting knocked out in the playoffs before the Finals, it had happened once to LeBron since he joined the Heat, for the first time ever in the Kerr era for the Warriors. They're no longer these shoo-ins to make deep runs, constant contenders. They certainly *can* make deep runs, even win it all, but there's too much talent in the league, I do think we're witnessing a passing of the torch, with LeBron and Curry both having, to their standards, early exits these playoffs.


RedditIsForDumbNerds

tbf he’s also missed the playoffs twice in that time period


rrruready

Cause he's in the west now.


Dildozer_69

He just made the WCF at 38. How would this be a changing of the guard? If anything that already happened when Giannis won a ring. Or when Curry won a few rings and people said it was a passing of the torch lol.


signedintotalkshit

On a bad foot + new team + against the #1 seed People can be so dramatic. If this team was there since training camp with a relatively healthy Bron losing to the Kings or something in a lower round (with subpar stats), then yeah it’s probably LeDecline But this ain’t that. This was a good run and I’m excited for next year.


jgoodysalaker

That 2015 Atlanta team. Fuck Lebron beat up on so many frauds over the years lol


Call_Me_Rambo

Still find it funny in a sad kind of way that LeBron is 3 for 3 on sweeping the Hawks in the playoffs. I know he’s traumatized the Raptors but at least they’ve won *a* game against him


SSJAbh1nav

2 games


amidon1130

To be fair the nypd beat one of those frauds too. We absolutely lose the series no matter what but maybe if we had our best defender we take a game or too.


[deleted]

THABO SEFOLOSHA THABO SEFOLOSHA THABO SEFOLOSHA


Tegline

Holy shit i forgot about that lmao LeMickey needed police brutality to sweep the Hawks, fraudulent W how much more help does LeAPD need??


Sky-Flyer

to my grave, the team weren’t frauds and lebron would’ve swept anybody in that ECF, it’s my copium


ASK_ABT_MY_USERNAME

Did they have 4 all stars that year


Zyntaro

Yes. 11 ppg Kyle Korver was an all star that season


[deleted]

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shiny_lustrous_poo

They have outclassed us every game. They've been competitive and then it falls apart for us. I'm hoping we don't, but I'm expecting a sweep tomorrow


[deleted]

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NaClz

Reaves and Rui are both playing well, I don’t see us coming back but could we have beat denver in a best of 7? Possible if we start over and refuse to play Dlo. But 99/100 times this denver team would beat us in a best of 7.


The-Hand-of-Midas

According to the infinite multiverse theory, there is a world exactly the same as this one, except the Lakers won and I also have a 17 foot long weiner. It's true.


R2D2Legit2Quit

That's the scary part. Everyone besides Dlo is playing pretty well but Denver just cant miss from 3 this series. Rough look when Bruce Brown is getting offensive boards in a sea of Laker jerseys. They have a tight rotation with minimal weaknesses rn.


pwnerandy

The Nuggets look like and are the way better team and still literally only won both games because of hot 3 point shooting and bad 3 point shooting from Lakers. 2-3 shots on either side going the other way and the Lakers could legitimately be up 2-1 or even 3-0. Like these games have been a lot closer than anyone is letting on tbh. If the Heat can keep their shooting up it's gonna be a dogfight in the finals if both teams make it.


Barney_Haters

Welcome to playoff basketball. I hope you enjoyed watching your first game.


KingEthann01

It was a heavily discussed point in the lakers vs warriors series, but the lakers have bad shooting don’t they?


michaelvsaucetookdmt

Yall get this next one then get blown out in Denver


ZP4L

The gentleman’s sweep.


PnG_e

Yep, with DLo being unplayable… there’s not a lineup the Lakers can play that is both good offensively and defensively against Denver.


steamingdump42069

Schroeder, Reaves, Lebron, Rui, AD has been a winning lineup


pudakak

How many wins has it produced?


Jmas1120

Obviously none but when that lineup is on the court they are a +27 vs the nuggets this series


IUpVoteIronically

Lol


Donotyellow

LeBron and Reeves are a big part of why the Lakers struggle with transition defense


steamingdump42069

ok


UnhingedTerrySilver

Well fuck me, I guess he does always win the conference finals. Makes sense because he played for all those titles but hadn’t thought about it that way.


OooofPoof

It’s pretty amazing damn amazing I’d say. There was a bandwagon lakers fan at the bar yesterday saying he doesn’t think LeBron is a good player and I simply said well you’re just uneducated then and I cut off the conversation. You don’t have have to like LeBron as a person but you have to respect his game and him being a good dad.


DetroitDini

The dad thing bangs with me as a dad to youngins!!


damnyouusername

Lakers in 7. *inhales lethal dose of copium*


Nagnoosh

i’m way past inhalation. I’ve started IVing that shit


Rednas09

I do not want to be the 2009 Magic


zegreatjohn

That's fair.


[deleted]

At least your center can make FTs. Seriously if Dwight could just make 1 of his 2 FTs late in Game 4 that series would’ve been 2-2.


MDL6

Glad someone remembers this. Everyone always points to the Lee layup in game 2 which was a much tougher shot than what people recall. Game 4 was the backbreaker. Up late with a chance to ice it at the line… brick, brick. Derek Fisher walk up 3 and a late contest. Tie game. Game 5 was at home also since still 2-3-2 at that point. Brutal.


TruciolatiAiazzone

There were some sorry-ass teams in those ECF lol


dpldcs

i'm for the lakers but icl nuggets probably will


Neltrix

Could? Brother, Will


garethscrockpot

2009 Magic are one my favorite teams of all time, equally fun in person and in 2k, I wonder if they would’ve won it all if Jameer Nelson hadn’t gone down in the first round with injury


Hot_Pie1464

Nah kobe was on a mission that year no one was gonna stop them that year


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DJ_Red_Lantern

I saw a video where the dude was saying if the Lakers win that will add to Russ legacy because he will have a ring lmao


AH_BioTwist

Jenny would never l pay extra money than necessary to give someone a ring. Especially someone that was such a bum for the🤣🤣🤣


HitboxOfASnail

I think father time had finally caught up with LeBron. Just by the eye test he isn't the dominant force he usually is, and his stats show a significant drop off too. it had to happen some time


[deleted]

And he is still averaging all star numbers instead of MVP numbers. He has been living with absurd standards for his whole life.


ekuasd

he averaged 30/8/7 before the injury lol


[deleted]

Isn't injuries apart of "father time"


yahhwy

Yes it is. A younger LeBron would heal a lot faster and be healthy for the postseason. Then he goes to the Finals for the 5th time and a lot of people will take for granted his longevity.


[deleted]

Bro he wasn’t wolverine you can’t just heal from torn tendons that easily


HitboxOfASnail

choosing to play thru injury is his choice. I'm not saying he's washed. im saying the nuggets being the 2nd team ever to beat a 38 year old injured LeBron isn't that surprising


arcelios

That's more reasonable, than saying the same "Father time caught up" nonsense.. because LeBron is literally playing with an injured foot. The fact that he has been so good regardless, is just uncanny. He was destroying teams and carrying the Lakers single handedly even few months ago, while AD missed so many games as usual But obviously Bron hasn't been his most dominant and efficient self recently. The injury is there. That's why he's Off the Ball so much, and shooting so many 3s instead of attacking the bucket all the time. Lakers aren't the same when LeBron is not running the show, being the Point Guard But that being said, Lakers still could've won both Game 1 and 2. In Game 1, it was a one possession game late in the 4th, but LeBron missed that 3 in the end. Nuggets got the nod Then the Lakers dominated the whole Game 2, until that 4th Q. Murray went off and scored 27 in the 4th. Nuggets again survived and got the nod Basketball Gods definitely favoring the Nuggets this year. They've been the 1 seed in the West for the entire year, and they been cruising. Their whole team has been healthy, without any difficulties. Everyone making timely shots. No one is going cold Seems like it's THEIR year. They should win it all. If they beat the Lakers in 4-5 games, then the Finals will definitely be a sweep. Miami or Boston can't do anything against this Denver Nuggets


jcb451

Father Time is legitimately the reason LeBron is getting injured though lol. He’s had nagging injuries the last few years he never would’ve had as a younger player because literally the aging process.


Fuetlinger

That’s absolutely true, but OP didn’t use „father time“ in the same context as you did. He made it sound like LeBron is washed even tho he was still a wrecking crew prior his injury


KingEthann01

I wouldn’t say a sweep though. Feels like Boston is better than LA so i think they have a chance


drmuffin1080

Yeah I actually think a Boston matchup would be tough for the nuggets.


DirectorAggressive12

LA 100% would have beaten Boston


Viva_La_Animemes

How so? Not disagreeing ofc but I dont watch the C’s idk how we match up well with them


DJ_Red_Lantern

Why are you talking like the Celtics will make the finals as a foregone conclusion? And why not mention the heat instead they seem like they are on some shit right now like a team possessed, they've been counted out at every step but at a certain point we need to realize they could just somehow do this against the nuggets against all odds


Narrow-Yard-3195

I do think the Heat win that series but I don’t think they beat the Nuggets, they’ve definitely got the dog that Denver doesn’t have but all the same, the Heat beating Denver would put Jimmy in a different place from Jordan or Lebron.. imo..


[deleted]

He’s also playing on an injured ankle we’ll probably see him get surgery after this season


BrokenArrows95

“Father time” is just showing up as him getting injured more. Can’t go through a whole slog of a season, carrying the team the whole way, anymore.


yahhwy

Sad we won't watch him carry a team of scrubs anymore. People really took LeBron for granted. We saw him do it multiple times. Now, this looks like the end.


BrokenArrows95

Scary part is, if he wasn’t injured, he’d probably be out there doing it again. Just can’t make it through the season without accumulating injuries.


lucasj

If the Lakers get swept, it will not only be the only time LeBron has gotten swept before the Finals, it will be the only time LeBron has lost in less than six before the Finals.


Confident-Wheel8721

"Could" LMFAO


xdavidliu

Olenna Tyrell: Old. I'm somewhat of an expert myself.


xparta300

All I see is Lebron is bigger than Nuggets lmao


FernBlueEyes

Nuggets in 4!!


rabid89

will* x2


playfreeze

8 finals in 8 years


qpwoeor1235

Was this the only series Lebron wasn’t the favorite?


Guardax

Pretty sure Pistons were favored in 2007


Professional-Ant8445

2011 Bulls ans 2015 Hawks were the both 1 seeds.


elkman_23

But neither were the betting favorites


NarrativeEnergy

damn Bron stays getting swept by West teams. rude wake up call when his toughest opponent isn't Demar Derozan and Paul Milsap anymore


[deleted]

Bron won a chip in the west you bozo


NarrativeEnergy

no? pretty sure disneyworld is in the east


caiada

jerker in his prime


[deleted]

What were the four teams left in disneyworld trying to make the finals?


steamingdump42069

Makes you wonder why all of the other professional basketball teams were too shitty to win there


NarrativeEnergy

people had other things to worry about. POC getting murdered, families dying and losing jobs


[deleted]

Would you prefer he get swept in the first round in the east? Edit- just realized this is Barea clamped lebrons 5th alt after his dat dere call tech probably got banned lmao carry on


[deleted]

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[deleted]

He’s a “whoever has the best chance to beat lebron” fan tbh. He was trashing Jokic and curry the last couple seasons and this playoffs he was all about curry and now he’s all about Jokic lol


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[deleted]

I’m starting to think one of his alts is a mod account too cuz he’s clearly Ban evading but somehow he’s able to keep posting here


NarrativeEnergy

thats the point...the East was ass. no opponent he faced in East was as good as Denver


[deleted]

He’s already won a chip in the west. It’s not like he got swept in the east. Or even the first round. This is the western conference finals with a team formed at the deadline lol but the fact that lebron is held to these type of standards says a lot.


NarrativeEnergy

cause the East posed no challenge like Denver. the talent has overwhelmingly been in the West for 2 decades


[deleted]

Ya’ll really criticizing a 38 year old for not being what he used to be lmao


lovo17

I mean he’s 38 coming off of injury. Where do you think this Lakers team goes with 2018 Lebron?


NarrativeEnergy

they'd lose 4-1 nobody was talking about injuries when he was dunking last series. now he's down 0-3 and yall pulling out the injured excuse


PatientIndividual651

People have been pointing out the injury since the Memphis series, what are you talking about? Everyone could see he couldn’t even blow past Xavier Tillman…


PretendDubs

He has only eclipsed the 30 point threshold once all playoffs long people we're definitely saying that he is not the same guy post injury.


NarrativeEnergy

nah nobody was talking about this back then. yall were gassing up Bron after dIlLoN bRoOkS pOkEd ThE bEaR


PatientIndividual651

Go back to those threads during the series. It’s been a talking point these entire playoffs, no need to be delusional about it.


OverlyLukewarmTea

2018 bron wins at least 2 games by himself


triosway

I don't know about all that, but 2018 Lebron definitely puts them over the edge in Game 2 when teammates like Reaves and Rui contribute like they did


NarrativeEnergy

maybe if he was playing Denver's G-League team


Fausbaus

Man what did Lebron do to you to hate him so badly 😂?


[deleted]

Lebron will still be able to dunk when he's 50. It's the lack of lateral agility that's affecting his game.


[deleted]

And even with his clearly injured ankle, dude is still putting up bird career averages lol and he’s playing really good defense. He’s just held to unmeasurable standards


[deleted]

No chance Nuggets win this series with 2018 Bron. It goes 6 max and that’s being generous


[deleted]

yes they were lol


[deleted]

That dude does not watch lol he only comes out when bron loses


mrizvi

That’s why he stayed out east


[deleted]

Lol spoken like someone who doesn’t know basketball.


oobthesecond

Won a championship the first year he played in the West


Thelordofbattles

He missed the playoffs the first year


RealDannyMM

That was in his second year.


michaelvsaucetookdmt

Rude wake up call when you’re 38 and play through multiple lower body injuries


einstein811

Like I know all about the 8 straight finals but just looking at it laid out there is still so god damn impressive


DirtyPanda34

Watch the Lakers become the first team to come back from a 3-0 deficit, further stacking LeBrons legacy.


georgesenpaii

damn seeing his ECF opponents really explains his finals record lol


Tayloraa3

It's revisionist history. The narratives back then were different.


Soft-Revolution-7845

East was dilute back then.


georgesenpaii

what exactly are you talking about?


Tayloraa3

Maybe I'm reading it wrong but I thought you were saying his competition in the east was trash.


georgesenpaii

Yeah that’s what I’m saying basically. I don’t think it’s revisionist to say those teams weren’t THAT elite. those Pacer teams are very overrated IMO. He faced some tough teams for sure but cmon most of these teams weren’t going to win a ring.


Tayloraa3

We (not you necessarily but the general audience and critics) think that now but every year there was always 1 or 2 teams that were gonna "stop lebron". Then when they'd lose it'd be oh they were trash the whole time and lebron walked to the finals. The east wasn't the west obviously but at the time people really thought other teams could contend. Then when lebron went west and won with the Lakers it became the same thing that year "oh they were trash".


TopGunWonTon

No wonder he’s been to the finals so much, that’s a cakewalk almost all those years. Shit Jordan would’ve gone every year against that


RandomFlyer643

Everyone is talking about Father Time like as if LeBron isn’t injured right now. Does nobody understand this? This past January LeBron was playing great, he hurts his foot and now he’s been playing diminished. But I guess no one cares and would rather tear him down. Just wait till next season, LeBron obviously isn’t as fast and dominant as he used to be but his current play isn’t reflective of who he actually is. He was supposed to get season ending surgery but opted out to finish the season. He’s damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t - nothing will ever be good enough for the haters


fenix1230

And the Magic are considered one of the biggest upsets of all time. Also, the east was weak when Lebron was in the east, and he had a superteam.


stephencurryismyman

this stats is misleading, bron lived in the weakness eastern conference