LeBron James says Lakers were outmatched by Thunder’s superior talent in playoff exit
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LOS ANGELES — LeBron James believes the Los Angeles Lakers’ season ended because the Oklahoma City Thunder simply had more skill on the floor.
Speaking on Thursday’s episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast with co-host Steve Nash, James said the Lakers’ second-round loss to the defending champions was not about effort or strategy.
“I have the passion to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy every year,” James said. “But if we’re being completely honest, we were out-talented.”
The No. 4 seed Lakers fell to top-seeded Oklahoma City in the Western Conference semifinals after eliminating the No. 5 seed Houston Rockets in the first round. James insisted the Thunder did not “outwork,” “out-physical” or “outsmart” Los Angeles, adding, “They just possess so much more talent.”
The Lakers played the entire postseason without star guard Luka Doncic, the league’s leading scorer and fourth-place finisher in MVP voting, who was sidelined by a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. “At the end of the day, we failed in talent,” James said. “OKC just possessed so much more talent than us. You can tip your cap to them, but you can’t get caught up in that, especially when you know you were undermanned.”
Uncertain future
James, 41, also addressed his upcoming free agency and the possibility of a 24th NBA season that would extend his own record for career longevity. “I’m still in the moment of just taking my time,” he said. “I haven’t even really thought about it too much.”
The four-time MVP plans to begin considering his options after a family vacation following Memorial Day. “I think at some point in June, late June, as July rolls around — free agency starts to get going — and maybe into August, we’ll start to get a feel of what my future may look like,” he said. “I can control my own destiny, whether that’s being here with [the Lakers] for the foreseeable future or if it’s going somewhere else.”
Source: ESPN
