LeBron Making 23-Year History In Game 1 vs. Thunder Tonight

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated May 5, 2026 6:03 PM ET

LeBron James will make history when the Los Angeles Lakers step on the hardwood for Game 1 of their second-round series with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Despite being shorthanded in the opening round of the playoffs, Los Angeles got the job done against the Houston Rockets. It certainly helped that James averaged 23.2 points, 8.3 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game.

The Thunder, meanwhile, swept the Phoenix Suns in their first-round series. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was sensational, averaging 33.8 points per game.

Prior to Game 1 of the Lakers-Thunder series, head coach JJ Redick put into perspective just how great Oklahoma City has been over the past two seasons.

"We saw a stat in our morning meeting, teams that have had back-to-back or even more than that, 10 or more better net ratings in consecutive seasons, you're talking about the '95-'96 Bulls and '96-'97 Bulls and the '15-'17 Warriors. You're literally talking about two of the greatest teams of all time," Redick said, via Basketball Network. "I said to a bunch of people yesterday, off-site, talking about this series, to me, the Thunder is one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history. It's just the reality. They're that good. I think our guys recognize that and respect that, and we know what kind of task we have in front of us."

The Thunder are so dominant that oddsmakers have the Lakers as 15.5-point underdogs for Game 1.

If that line holds, that would be the biggest spread LeBron has ever faced in his illustrious career.

ESPN's matchup predictor also favors Oklahoma City this Tuesday, giving the defending champions a 79.5% chance of winning Game 1.

Will the Lakers get Luka Doncic back later this series?

The Lakers have already said Luka Doncic will miss Game 1 against the Thunder, but he hasn't been ruled out for the entire series.

According to reports, Doncic was spotted shooting 3-pointers with his teammates during Monday's practice. He still needs to clear a few more hurdles before he's back on the hardwood for the playoffs.

Can the Lakers stay afloat and buy Doncic time though? We'll find out in the coming days.

Game 1 of the Lakers-Thunder series will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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