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LeBron James has had one of the greatest careers in NBA history. He has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, twice, Miami Heat and LA Lakers, winning four NBA championships in total. He's been part of the biggest wins in basketball history, but has also been part of the biggest defeats.
Also Read: 5 Achievements LeBron James was the youngest to reach
"The King" endured a lot of heavy defeats in his career, especially in the playoffs and the NBA Finals. It's the only real blemish that some of his critics have thrown at him over the years. But on this list, we'll take a look at the most lopsided and worst losses in James' career.
#5 - Golden State Warriors 132-98 Cleveland Cavaliers; 18 January 2016
Before this game, Steph Curry said he hoped the away locker room still smelled like champagne. I'm not sure if it did, but he smelled blood for sure. In what was a usual occurrence that season, Curry exploded, scoring 35 points in 3 quarters as the Golden State Warriors routed the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Andre Iguodala added 20 points off the bench and Draymond Green had 10 assists to go along with his 16 points. The Cavs, meanwhile, had a complete flop show. Irving and Love combined for 11 points and James only had 16. The Warriors at one point led by 43 points and only a late flurry of baskets at the end ensured that the Cavs didn't suffer their worst loss at home in franchise history.
Many felt it was the precursor to what was going to happen in the NBA Finals and it sure seemed that way through four games after which Cleveland made that incredible comeback. James got his revenge when it mattered most in this instance.
#4 - Golden State Warriors 126-91 Cleveland Cavaliers; 16 January 2017
The Warriors have kind of had their way with the Cavaliers at times. After a terrific come-from-behind victory over Golden State earlier in the season, it felt that maybe Cleveland just had some psychological advantage over the Warriors after last season's collapse.
Some also felt that adding Kevin Durant won't make a difference, he's always finished second fiddle to LeBron when they've faced off, etc. They put any such theories to bed with ease. The Warriors clamped down on defense, holding the Cavs to 35% shooting from the field. James and Irving scored 20 and 17 respectively but shot poorly and committed a combined 12 turnovers.
Golden State meanwhile got 26 points from Thompson and Green had a triple-double. They never trailed, en route to handing James his worst loss since he returned to Cleveland. There was no revenge this time around for LeBron as the Warriors promptly beat them up in the Finals to win in five games.
#3 - San Antonio Spurs 113-77 Miami Heat; 11 June 2013
With the Finals tied at 1-1, the Spurs clobbered the Heat in Game 3, to seemingly take control of the series. After a back-and-forth encounter up to halftime, the Spurs seized control.
San Antonio went on a 50-25 run, led by some crazy long-range shooting by Danny Green and Gary Neal, as the Spurs set the then-record for most threes in a Finals game with 16.
The Heat, on the other hand, struggled, especially LeBron James. He missed 11 of his first 13 shots, bothered by Kawhi Leonard's defense. The big three combined for just 43 points, as the Spurs went full lockdown mode.
The rest of the team didn't fare any better except Mike Miller who hit all five of his three-pointers. It remains the third-largest margin of victory in an NBA Finals game.
#2 - Washington Wizards 108-72 Cleveland Cavaliers, 24 April 2008
With the Cleveland Cavaliers comfortably up 2-0 in the first round of the 2008 playoffs, the Washington Wizards roared back in Game 3. Despite being doubled and triple-teamed at times, LeBron James finished with 22 points.
While he held up his end of the deal, the rest of the team did not. The rest of the lot shot 35% from the field and the Cavs, on the whole, had 23 turnovers. They didn't fare much better on defense either, allowing the Wizards to score at will.
DeShawn Stevenson led the way with 19 points. This series is often remembered for the back-and-forth talk between James and Stevenson, who called "The King" overrated earlier in the season. Stevenson had his way for a day, but the Cavs handled the Wizards the rest of the way and won the series in six games.
#1 Philadelphia 76ers 138-94 LA Lakers, 27 November 2023
LeBron James has been breaking records since last season, but no one predicted that he'll also have an unwanted one on Nov. 27. The LA Lakers visited the Philadelphia 76ers as part of a four-game road trip.
Things didn't go according to plan as the Sixers jumped into an early lead in the first quarter. The Lakers tried to claw their way back, but Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and the rest of the Sixers were too much for them, especially in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers were outscored 40-14 in the final period with the Sixers getting the 44-point win, which is the most lopsided loss in James' career. "The King" finished with 18 points and five assists.
