A 20-year LeBron James NBA Playoffs streak is over

Before Monday, a LeBron James-led team had never been down 2-0 in the first round of the NBA postseason. But that's the position James found himself in after his Lakers lost to the Nuggets.   

There's a sound explanation for James to be in his current predicament.

Ever since the "The King" first made the postseason in 2005-06, his teams have been the higher seed in the first round every single year except his last three appearances.  

As Father Time has caught up with James, his teams have been fighting in the bottom half of the standings, leading to him facing tougher opponents early in the playoffs. 

In 2021, for example, his seventh-seeded Lakers ran into the second-seeded Suns. But they avoided going down 2-0 and lost the series in six games. Then, in 2023, the seventh-seeded Lakers faced the Grizzlies in the first round and pulled off "the upset" against an inexperienced squad. In 2024, however, James has run into the 57-win, defending champion Nuggets. And to the surprise of few, James' first-round streak is over, even as his team blew a 20-point lead. 

Overall, James' teams have been down 2-0 in the playoffs nine times, going 3-5 in the previous eight occasions (all in the second round or beyond). 

Of the three times James' teams recovered from a 2-0 deficit, the 2016 NBA Finals was the most memorable as the Cavs battled back from 3-1 down to stun the Warriors. There was also the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons when the Cavs won four in a row to make the NBA Finals.

Could a James-led team successfully recover from a 2-0 deficit for the fourth time? Against these Denver Nuggets? Fat chance.