Reggie Miller on LeBron James getting Swept by the Nuggets: “It happens to the greatest of greats”
Reggie Miller #ReggieMiller
LeBron James’ detractors are making a big fuss about the King getting swept in the 2023 Western Conference Finals by the Denver Nuggets. Before and after Monday’s loss, basketball netizens talked about Lebron’s legacy taking a hit with a Lakers’ sweep.
Others brought up the unending GOAT debate again, saying that a sweep at the hands of Nikola Jokic further diminishes LeBron’s claim for the greatest player of all time.
Dan Patrick brought up the topic of James’ legacy to Reggie Miller while the two were discussing his possible retirement on the recent episode of Dan Patrick Show. However, the Hall of Famer jumped to James’ defense.
“Michael did get swept by Boston,” said Miller. “He didn’t get swept in a best-of-seven series, but the great Larry Bird was swept in a best-of-seven series and against the Bucks…Magic Johnson it happened twice in a best-of-seven series in the NBA Finals. In the NBA Finals, Magic was swept twice, so stop saying, ‘Oh my goodness LeBron, he got swept. It happens to the greatest of greats.”
It happens to everyone
Getting swept isn’t uncommon in the NBA. According to nbasweep.com, a total of 181 sweeps have taken place in 833 playoff series from 1947 to 2021.
Shaquille O’Neal was swept six times in his 19-year NBA career, including five times in a best-of-seven series. Kobe Bryant lost three playoff series without winning a game, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wound up on the wrong end of a playoff sweep three times.
Larry Bird also saw the broom twice, although he was injured when the Celtics laid an egg in 1989. Tim Duncan also suffered the same fate twice, including once in the Conference Finals. Magic Johnson lost 4-0 twice, once in NBA Finals. Michael Jordan was swept twice in back-to-back seasons by the Boston Celtics in 1986 and 1987. Charles Barkley got swept once, and so did Wilt Chamberlain.
The third time LeBron got swept
For LeBron, Monday’s sweep at the hands of the Denver Nuggets wasn’t his first time. King James had been swept twice before in the postseason, and they both happened in the NBA Finals; in 2007 against San Antonio Spurs and in 2018 against Golden State Warriors.
That being said, the Lakers getting swept in the 2023 Western Conference Finals shouldn’t have been a big issue. After all, the Nuggets were the No. 1 seed, and the Lakers were merely the 7th seed, despite having one of the best postseasons run in the league.