Getty Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets and LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James have not beaten the Denver Nuggets in more than one year, regular season or playoffs. Their last regular season victory came in December of the 2022-23 season.
And the Nuggets, of course, swept them in the Western Conference Finals last season.
“They have five threats on the floor at one time. And their biggest threat can do everything, and that’s Joker [Nikola Jokic],” James told reporters following the latest loss on March 2. “It makes it very challenging.”
Asked specifically if there was an answer for Jokic – who finished the win with 35 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists – and what it might be, James was blunt.
“There is none,” James said.
Nikola 30-bomb 🃏
31 PTS / 9 REB / 5 AST
Jokic scored 19 points in the second half, and 13 points in the third quarter alone, while the Nuggets outscored the Lakers 66-48 after the break. The two-time MVP averages 20.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 6.5 assists against the Lakers in his regular-season career.
It all paints an ominous picture of the Lakers’ postseason, which is already tracking to be road-heavy.
The Lakers are 12-19 away from Crypto.com Arena this season.
Even more ominous, they are 17-22 against teams with a winning record. They have a 5.5-game lead on the Utah Jazz for 10th place in the Western Conference standings, giving them a strong hold on the final spot in the Play-In Tournament.
Lakers’ LeBron James Names 6 ‘Unanswerable’ Players
Reporters asked James how many other players around the league he would consider “unanswerable,” a label that has fit him in his career. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he rattled off a list of his contemporaries with little hesitation.
“Joel [Embiid], Joker, Luka [Doncic], Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Steph [Curry], KD [Kevin Durant],” James said. “Just to name a few.”
LeBron and Joker embrace each other after their hard-fought battle 👑🃏
There are eight MVPs, 50 All-Star appearances, and 40 All-NBA selections in that group.
The Lakers could even face up to four players in that group in a potential postseason run to the NBA Finals. Their 9-3 record in December offers promise. But their place in the standings and record against winning teams is far less encouraging.
LeBron James Talks Next 40,000-Point Scorer
James surpassed 40,000 career points in the contest. Asked after the game if he could see any other players finishing their careers having reached the mark, James gave an answer that was more reflective than anything.
I have no idea,” James said.
“Obviously, you have to play the game quite a while and have some good luck as far as injuries and things of that nature. You have to take care of your body, you have to be present on the floor, and then you have to be productive as well.”
LeBron James scores the bucket to become the first player in league history to score 40,000 career points 👑
DEN-LAL Live on ABC
“We have a lot of great guys in our league that can score the ball. And if they were to stay healthy and they would play a long time, then they can eclipse it. But you can’t account for what could possibly happen. So I can’t sit here and say who would it be in our league today.”
James pointed to former Lakers teammate Russell Westbrook averaging a triple-double over an entire season for the first time since Oscar Robertson.
He also noted his surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time scoring record.