- Report: People close to LeBron described January loss to Celtics as worst defeat for him mentally since J.R.’s Finals blunder
- Russell Westbrook’s brother seemingly reacts to LeBron James being disappointed that Lakers didn’t acquire Kyrie Irving
- Josh Giddey downplays possibility of LeBron James breaking scoring record vs. Thunder
- Report: Raptors and Jazz are ‘plan B’ options for Lakers while Hornets, Spurs and Bulls are other ‘teams to watch’
- Report: Lakers had ‘serious concerns’ about Kyrie Irving’s professionalism and availability
- Report: Lakers still optimistic they can upgrade their roster before the trade deadline
- Report: Nets owner’s presumed objective was to send Kyrie Irving anywhere but Lakers
- Report: Lakers could be willing to give up Austin Reaves and Max Christie for Kyrie Irving in unexpected twist
- Report: There’s pessimism that Lakers will land Kyrie Irving due to his contract demands
- Anthony Davis preaches ‘urgency’ as Lakers lose critical game to Pelicans
LeBron James Explains How ‘Championship-Ready’ Lakers Are After They Advance Past Trail Blazers
- Updated: August 30, 2020
Winning the NBA championship is a process, and LeBron James feels like his Los Angeles Lakers have made measurable progress towards that goal.
After leading the team to a Game 5 win against the Portland Trail Blazers to advance to the second round of the playoffs, James talked about how the Lakers have gotten better during the course of the series.
LeBron tells TNT in his walk-off interview: "We got better throughout the course of this series…We have an opportunity to decompress just a little bit and wait for our next opponent and at the same time continue to remember how important voting is." #Lakeshow
— Laurantine (@LoJoMedia) August 30, 2020
It looked like L.A. was in some trouble when it dropped Game 1, 100-93. But the Lakers won Game 2 easily, pulled away for a Game 3 win and blew out Portland in Game 4 by 20 points.
Suddenly, it was clear that the Lakers were the superior team.
In Game 5, Portland fought hard even though it was without the services of superstar Damian Lillard. It remained right on L.A.’s heels throughout and tied the contest at 109 on a Gary Trent Jr. 3-pointer with 6:52 remaining in the fourth quarter.
But almost in the blink of an eye, the Lakers took a 129-114 lead, and Rip City was done for the season.
Going on late runs like the one L.A. put on Portland in the fourth quarter is a common trait of championship teams past and present.