Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 108-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets and subsequent first-round elimination from the NBA playoffs on Monday night at Ball Arena, an unbelievable streak involving LeBron James, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant and Warriors star Steph Curry came to an end.
James was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft, but the “Chosen One” didn’t reach the playoffs until his third year in the league. Since 2005, James has appeared in the postseason 17 times between stints with the Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Lakers and has four championship rings to show for it.
James has missed the playoffs just four times in his career (2003-04, 2004-05, 2018-19, 2021-22), and this season marked just the second time he has failed to advance past the first round.
Durant wasn’t drafted until 2007 and missed the playoffs his first two seasons with the team. But since his first postseason appearance during the 2009-10 season, Durant has made the playoffs every single year except the 2014-15 campaign for a total of 14 postseasons, though he didn’t pay in the Brooklyn Nets’ opening round loss to the Toronto Raptors in 2020.
Durant has made it to at least the second round 10 times, but his Suns were swept in their opening-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Curry, who won two of his four rings alongside Durant on the Warriors, has reached the playoffs nine times since Golden State drafted him in 2009 and at least the second round eight times. The Splash Brother missed the postseason in his first three seasons as well as 2019-20, 2020-21 and this season, where the Warriors failed to advance past the NBA Play-In Tournament with a loss to the Sacramento Kings.
The 2010s and beyond were ruled by James, Curry and Durant on the court. But with young stars like Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander making a name for themselves, the NBA postseason might look a lot different from here on out
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