Game 1 of the second-round series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder went the way of the defending champions. Despite LeBron James leading all scorers with 27 points, Thunder big man Chet Holmgren stepped up in a big way with 24 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks to help push them to an 18-point victory.
Back in 2021, Holmgren was the highest-rated player in his high school class, something James knows all about. But following Game 1, the big man admitted that he never thought he’d actually face off with James in a playoff series, during a postgame interview with NBA on NBC.
“Maybe with him coaching or something. I don’t know,” Holmgren said. “That was a long time ago, and he’s still at it.”
Holmgren’s first NBA season was James’ 20th in the league, so it is completely reasonable that the idea of taking on James in the playoffs was a far-fetched one. For James to not only still be playing, but leading a playoff team in his 23rd NBA season is just unfathomable, but he has continued to do the impossible throughout his NBA career.
Holmgren was just one year old when James made his NBA debut so he quite literally grew up watching the Lakers star his entire life. But that obviously won’t stop him from going at James as he looks to help the Thunder on their quest to win a second consecutive NBA Championship. The big man is already making a name for himself and made his first All-Star team this season, but the immense respect for James remains and how could it not.
As Holmgren joked, if anything he would be facing James as a coach as he is the same age as both JJ Redick and Mark Daigneault, the two head coaches in this series.
LeBron James defends Austin Reaves
While James had a strong performance in Game 1, the same cannot be said about Austin Reaves, who finished with just eight points on 3-of-16 shooting, garnering a ton of criticism for his rough night. But James came to his defense after the game, noting that Reaves was out for a month and it takes time for players to get back into rhythm while also adding that just his presence on the court benefits the Lakers overall.
James expects Reaves to get better with each game, which will be needed if the Lakers want to compete in this series.
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