LeBron James Downplays Lakers’ Playoff Rematch Against Nuggets

LeBron James is dismissing the historical significance of past matchups as the Los Angeles Lakers prepare to face the Denver Nuggets in the upcoming NBA playoffs.

While the Nuggets swept the Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference finals and the Lakers defeated the Nuggets in the 2020 finals, James stresses that these outcomes hold no weight on the impending series.

“I think you’re putting a little bit too much emphasis on it,” James said. “This is our first-round matchup. We’re looking forward to the postseason. But I haven’t been looking forward to the rematch. The game is played how it’s being played, and this is the matchup. We’re looking forward to that challenge.”

James emphasized the importance of sticking to the game plan and not letting emotions derail their strategy.

“It shouldn’t be personal at all,” James said when asked about the motivation for payback. “I think you allow yourself to get away from the game plan when you make it too personal. We have a game plan. You go out there and execute it and you live with the results. I’m kind of the last person you should [ask that] — I just stay even-keeled.

“I’ve been in the postseason way too long in my career to know that you don’t get too high off of Game 1 or get too high over whoever the matchup is. You got to just stay even-keeled.”

As the series approaches, the Lakers are focused on discipline and performance, with James affirming, “It’s going to be challenging, but that’s what the postseason is all about. It should be.”

James acknowledged the need for the Lakers to come with better execution compared to the previous encounter with the Nuggets, but doing so requires the group to be “very disciplined.”

“We just got to be better all around,” James said. “Obviously, it’s a great team that we’re playing against. A team that won the championship, so they’ve been in a lot of big games and know what they want to get to late in games. So we just have to be very disciplined and have our mind up throughout the course of 48 minutes, or however long it takes.”

The Lakers are gearing up for a tough battle, aiming to overcome their recent playoff history against a formidable Nuggets team.