As soon as Game 1 of the NBA Finals ended on Thursday night in Oakland, the statistic of the history of LeBron James in Game 2’s of the postseason was brought up by countless reporters, analysts, and media outlets.
The past nine times LeBron has lost a Game 1 of a playoff series, his team has gone on to win Game 2.
It’s an impressive stat, no doubt, but let’s take a look at what happened in those playoff rounds overall.
The streak began in the 2009 Playoffs, when the Cavs took on the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavs won Game 2, but went on to lose the series. So the series record stands at 0-1.
The next time LeBron lost a Game 1 was the 2011 Playoffs, as a member of the Miami Heat, taking on the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat went on to win the series. (1-1)
In 2012, LeBron lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Heat went on to win the series. (2-1)
In 2013, LeBron lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals to the Bulls. The Heat went on to win the series. (3-1)
In the 2013 NBA Finals, the Heat lost game 1 to the San Antonio Spurs, but went on to win the series. (4-1)
In 2014, LeBron lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Indiana Pacers. Miami went on to win the series. (5-1)
In the 2014 NBA Finals, the Heat lost Game 1 to the Spurs and went on to lose the series. (5-2)
In Game 1 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, the Cavs lost to the Bulls, but went on to win the series. (6-2)
The Cavs lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors. They went on to lose the series. (6-3)
So out of the last nine times that a LeBron-led team has lost Game 1, his teams have gone 6-3 in terms of winning or losing the series.
We’ll see if LeBron can extend his bounce back streak to ten straight Game 2 wins coming off a loss, but more importantly, if he can make it 7-3 in series matchups.
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