LeBron James is set to miss the postseason for the first time since 2005, but says he’ll be back on the NBA’s biggest stage soon enough.
James concedes that the Los Angeles Lakers’ chances of qualifying for the playoffs are “slimming down each and every game.”
LeBron had 36 points and 10 rebounds in Tuesday night’s 123-107 road win against the Chicago Bulls, and promises to “finish up strong.”
Per The Athletic:
“I always feel bouncy,” James said, despite a recent stretch of games that said otherwise.
James once famously said after losing to Golden State in the 2015 NBA Finals that he’d rather miss the playoffs than lose in the Finals. But he backtracked some when asked how he feels when he really has to confront the alternative to what happened in five of his previous eight seasons.
“Was that question asked after I actually lost that Finals? That was definitely a moment thing,” James said with a grin, explaining that past comment. “Obviously, I would love for this team to be in the postseason. For me to a part of the postseason is something I’ve always loved.
“Right now, it’s not the hand that was dealt. You play the hand you was dealt until the dealer shuffles the cards and give you another hand. I’ll be watching if we’re not in there and it looks like we’re not. Our chances are slimming down each and every game. This won’t be the last time I’ll be in the postseason, that’s for sure.”
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