The Lakers are on the brink of elimination thanks to a clinical Nuggets team but LeBron has instilled confidence and a resilient mindset into the LA squad.
The way LeBron has carried himself and his attitude throughout this series has got his teammates inspired.
“Not only does he lead with his actions but he leads with his words as well,” Lonnie Walker IV told reporters on Sunday.
“I think that’s what separates him from everyone else…. the way that he’s approached it and he makes everyone else kind of reset… Knowing that you have a player like that… it only makes us ready and more prepared for this next game.
“Kings don’t look down when they got crowns on their head. You don’t want that to fall… We’re not over with. We’re a whole bunch of kings over here.”
King James has been swept just twice before in his 20-season career – both in the NBA Finals when he was with the Cavaliers. The first was against the Spurs in 2007 and the second was in 2018 against the Warriors.
Nuggets veteran Jeff Green knows just how dangerous LeBron can be, so is keen to shut down all hopes of a comeback in Game 4.
“I mean, sh*t that’s LeBron man,” The Nuggets forward said. “He’s done some amazing things throughout these last 20 years. For me, we have to end it.
“It’s like you can’t continue to give him life. The more life you give him, the more confidence he gains and the more confidence he instills in his teammates. So for me, [on Monday] it has to end.”
Out of pride and respect for their fans, the Lakers certainly don’t want to go down 4-0 and their coach Darvin Ham says its a motivating factor to finish the season strong.
“It’s a very real thing,” Ham said. “It’s a very real thing. It’s a prideful group, again, highly competitive that cares and that wants to go and put on a good show for our fans as well.
Game 4 of the Lakers-Nuggets will take place on Monday, May 23 at 5:30PM PDT at Crypto.com arena.