A Weird Thing Is Unfolding in NBA, NHL Playoffs

A possibility of four sweeps is possible, as LeBron James floats idea of retirement
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted May 23, 2023 6:37 AM CDT
After Getting Swept, LeBron Says He Might Be Done
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James looks down in the closing minutes of a loss to the Denver Nuggets in the second half of Game 4 of the NBA basketball Western Conference Final series Monday, May 22, 2023, in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

The Lakers are out of the NBA playoffs, and LeBron James is talking retirement as a result. After the Denver Nuggets swept Los Angeles in four games in the Western Conference finals, James told reporters Monday night that he is considering retirement after 20 years, reports CNN. “We’ll see what happens going forward. I don’t know,” said the league's all-time leading scorer. Later, Dave McMenamin of ESPN pressed James to clarify, and the 38-year-old James made clear he might not play next season. "You would walk away?" asked McMenamin. "I got to think about it," replied James.

The Nuggets await the winner of the other conference finals, one in which the Miami Heat lead the Boston Celtics 3-0, meaning a second sweep is possible. The Athletic notes that something similar is happening in the NHL conference finals, with Florida up 3-0 on Carolina and Vegas up 2-0 on Dallas. "(E)very series is on the brink of a sweep or already there," writes Chris Branch. "This has never happened; simultaneous sweeps in the Conference Finals have never happened in the NBA and have been rare in the NHL, too." (More LeBron James stories.)

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