Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Houston Rockets are attempting a historic comeback from a 3-0 deficit against the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James.
- A potential series loss would mark the first time any team has ever overcome a 3-0 playoff deficit, and LeBron the face of the first team to blow it a 3-0 lead.
- The outcome will heavily influence public perception of LeBron's, regardless of fairness or context.
Dissecting the metaphysical, ephemeral, galaxy-sized mathematical nebula we call “LeBron’s Legacy” is going to take a village whenever the King retires. So I’m getting in on the ground floor, and preparing us all for a teensy-tiny tidbit of that discussion we may need to have soon — what if LeBron James blows a 3-0 lead?
The Houston Rockets are midway through an aggressive salvage operation to fish their dignity out of the bottom of the lake. They fell down 3-0, seemingly ready to tick the 0-156 series record of teams that lose the first three games up another notch. Two of those losses were just simple, embarrassing losses to a Los Angeles Lakers team missing both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, but Game 3 was simply one of the worst losses I’ve ever seen in a basketball game — they led by six, at home, with the ball, with 30 seconds left. That is an un-lose-able situation (they lost).
Will the Rockets even pull off the miracle 3-0 comeback?
But not so fast: even without Kevin Durant, the Rockets have a very talented roster that should be able to beat the Luka-less Lakers at least a few times. And that they have, snagging the last two after stamping out the Luke Kennardaissance and being more assertive in general on offense. LeBron James, too, hasn’t made a 3-pointer since Game 3, perhaps due to some mechanical breakdown from fatigue.
Put simply: the Rockets could totally win this thing. They have a Game 6 at home tonight, and then (say it with me now) anything can happen in Game 7. But we’re not here to talk about the Rockets or even really the Lakers; we’re here to talk about LeBron. So what would this mean for the GOAT debate?
Realistically … it should mean nothing. If they win, it will be a nice little series for a scrappy Lakers team that pushed through without their superstar. If they lose, it shouldn’t be an apocalypse; James isn’t their best player, nor can he be asked to carry a playoff team through a grindy series at this stage of his career. But the Lakers are asking, and so any question of whether it is “fair” or not to assign blame to LeBron if they blow this thing is moot. It’s going to matter.
The internet will freak out if LeBron blows a 3-0 lead
But how much is it going to matter? My estimation: a lot. There has never been a 3-0 comeback, and even blowing a 3-1 series lead is a much rarer occurrence than it often feels, as there have only been four in the last 10 years, two of which were on neutral sites in the 2020 Bubble. But it’s something that sticks with you; ask Stephen Curry or Doc Rivers how long it took for people to stop making fun of them. “Steph blew a 3-1 lead” was an endless refrain when I was in eighth grade. Yes, I was in eighth grade when that happened. Wow I’m old.
Notably, LeBron James captained that very greatest 3-1 comeback in 2016 against Steph, the only one ever to occur in the NBA Finals. James has never himself blown a 3-1 lead, nor did Michael Jordan or anyone else you could plausibly call “The GOAT.” That all counts for something, but blowing a 3-0 lead … man, that would count for something more.
Let me just set the stage if this actually went down: first, it would be one of the funniest internet days in world history. First ever 3-0 comeback and it was against LeBron?! The most iconic but also objectively most hilarious American athlete of my lifetime? I would have to take the day off work just to scroll Twitter. Second, it would spark one of the great anti-LeBronian reactionary turns. Those who have held onto Jordan as the GOAT would be gifted a silver bullet; the ultimate argument-ender. “LeBron blew a 3-0 lead” would become a mainstay of American culture. People would have bumper stickers. Many people will make shirts.
Is it fair to blame LeBron if the Lakers blow this lead?
As previously established, it wouldn’t be fair to say this is a “LeBron Team” facing this potential comeback; it’s really a Luka team, but it’s a “LeBron Series.” One of the drawbacks of LeBron playing forever is that we have become completely incapable of properly adjusting our expectations. Tom Brady is, to me, the best example of this. Basically every year between his 37 and 39-year-old seasons, there were voices predicting the fall off. But by the time he turned 40, we all just gave up on wondering if he was getting old. It would be five more years before he showed real signs of age.
LeBron is the only person who could have found himself in this situation. Every other great player in his shoes would be let off the hook because of age or surrounding injuries, but not James. He has exceeded every possible expectation of NBA superstar consistency to the point where he is now legally liable for blowing a 3-0 lead, no matter how fair it actually is.
Would LeBron blowing a 3-0 lead end the GOAT debate? As ridiculously bad faith a question that is … it kind of would (kind of, emphasis on the kind of. I cannot emphasize the “kind of” enough). GOAT discussions are about public confidence and feeling, and every crack in unanimity matters more than it should. To be known as “The Greatest of All Time” you can’t have a bunch of people insisting that you aren’t. This would be a major knock in the GOAT court of public opinion, even if it shouldn’t be.
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