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LeBron James has been in the NBA for 23 seasons.
Apparently, that still isn't enough time for him to have experienced everything.
James and the Los Angeles Lakers are 15.5-point underdogs against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series Tuesday night, as of Tuesday afternoon. The Lakers opened as 16-point underdogs, and the number has fluctuated between 15 and 16 points since the open.
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According to Yahoo Sports' Ben Fawkes, it's the largest point spread against a LeBron-led team in any game of his NBA career. Across over 1,900 combined regular-season and playoff games, James has never been this big of an underdog.
That's pretty wild.
The number is 3 points higher than the next closest game, when LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers were 12.5-point underdogs vs. the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals. That was the second title-winning Golden State team with Kevin Durant. The Warriors won Game 1 124-114 in overtime and swept the Cavs.
The Oklahoma City number is not an accident or a mistake by the sportsbooks. If anything, the line might be a little low based on the idea that many casual bettors might be inclined to back James and the Lakers at such a big number. Although, the Thunder will be without Jalen Williams (hamstring) for Game 1.
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Sportsbooks know exactly who LeBron is at this stage of his career. He's 41 years old, and the Lakers roster isn't nearly as deep or talented as the reigning NBA champions. The Thunder won 64 games in the regular season to secure the No. 1 seed in the West before sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
Plus, the Lakers are missing Luka Doncic, who remains out after suffering a hamstring strain in early April. While LeBron continues to produce at a very high level, he's no longer the type of player who can single-handedly carry a depleted roster against a far more talented squad.
That's why the spread is so big. It's because the market thinks Oklahoma City is around 15 points better than Los Angeles on its home floor right now.
Pretty simple.
It's worth noting that in the previous instance where LeBron was a 12.5-point underdog in the playoffs against the Warriors, he scored 51 points with 8 rebounds and 8 assists. The Cavs covered the spread, despite losing by 10 points. James was 33 years old at the time, so it'll be interesting to see if he still has that kind of gas left in the tank. It's going to take a Herculean effort from him for the Lakers to win Game 1, let alone the series (the Lakers are +900 to advance to the Western Conference Finals).
Maybe LeBron and the Lakers make this interesting. Maybe they keep it close, steal a game and turn this into a series. He's earned the benefit of the doubt in a way very few athletes ever have.
But there's a reason this number exists.
Oklahoma City is better. Oklahoma City is younger. Oklahoma City is deeper. And Oklahoma City is playing at home.
The Lakers have LeBron, which used to be enough to give oddsmakers pause when settling on a huge number.
Now, it's not.
And that might be the clearest sign yet of where this version of LeBron's career really stands.
