Over the course of his 20-year career, LeBron James has played in 53 NBA Playoffs series. Only four times has one of his teams faced a 3-0 series deficit.
After James’ Lakers dropped Game 3 to the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, he again faces a series deficit that history has proven to be insurmountable. In the NBA Playoffs, 149 teams have fallen into a 3-0 hole. None have advanced to the next round.
As no team has overcome the deficit, James-led teams are clearly no exception. That said, James knows a thing or two about making postseason history — he and the 2016 Cavaliers are the only team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals.
If anyone can make history, it’s a team featuring James.
As James and the Lakers look to do something that 148 teams have failed to do, look back at the previous three instances in which a team featuring James faced a series sweep.
MORE: How many teams have come back to force a Game 7 after facing a 3-0 deficit?
What is LeBron James’ record when down 3-0?
James has faced 3-0 deficits three times prior to the 2023 Western Conference Finals. His teams are 0-3 in those series, including an individual game record of 1-3.
MORE: How Nuggets took a 3-0 series lead over Lakers
LeBron James 3-0 deficit history
Before this year, James had faced a 3-0 series deficit three times, all in the NBA Finals.
James’ first 3-0 series deficit came during his first trip to the NBA Finals in 2007, when Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and the Spurs raced out to a dominant series advantage.
It would be another 10 years before a James-led team faced a 3-0 series deficit in the Finals, as his Cavaliers fell into a deep hole to the Warriors, who added Kevin Durant in the previous offseason. One year later, James and the Cavs again faced the same deficit in the Finals against the Warriors.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Series result |
| 2007 | NBA Finals | Spurs | Lost 4-0 |
| 2017 | NBA Finals | Warriors | Lost 4-1 |
| 2018 | NBA Finals | Warriors | Lost 4-0 |
| 2023 | Western Conference Finals | Nuggets | TBD |
LeBron James when facing 3-0 series deficit
James has been swept twice and once forced a Game 5. Look back at James’ performances when he and his teams have had once last chance to stave off elimination and avoid a series sweep.
| Series | James | Result |
| 2007 NBA Finals | 24 PTS (10-30 FG), 10 AST, 6 REB | Spurs 83, Cavaliers 82 |
| 2017 NBA Finals | 31 PTS (11-22 FG), 11 AST, 10 REB | Cavaliers 137, Warriors 116 |
| 2018 NBA Finals | 23 PTS (7-13 FG), 8 AST, 7 REB | Warriors 108, Cavaliers 85 |
| 2023 Western Conference Finals | TBD | TBD |
When facing a series sweep, James has posted averages of 26.0 points, 9.7 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game on 43.0 percent shooting from the field. In his one win, James recorded a 31-point triple-double while his Cavaliers put up a historically-dominant offensive performance.
As Los Angeles will look to get one win at a time, it will likely need a 2017-like performance from James.