Can the Lakers win the championship if they win the Nuggets? James surpasses Jordan with five championships?

At 8:30 a.m. on April 21, the Lakers and Nuggets will start the first game of the series at the Nuggets' home court. At present, the Lakers have lost eight consecutive games against the Nuggets, including a 0-4 sweep in the Western Conference finals last season. ESPN has a prediction for this game, where the Nuggets have a 68.6% chance of winning and the Lakers have a 31.4% chance of winning. The big game is coming, let's take a look at what the players on both sides have to say?

1. The Lakers released a poster

The Lakers officially released a playoff poster with all the players and wrote: When it comes to the playoffs, everyone's contribution is needed.

2. Malone: No one in the league can defend James alone

When talking about how to defend James, Malone said: A guy like LeBron, he himself averaged more than 5 points per game on the fast break, and against us, that statistic increased to 6.5 points.

You can't let the Lakers play fast, you have to let them fall into the halfcourt to play. James is a great passer, he can do the fast break by himself, he's a sprinting train, so you have to have a point to go up and force him, but there's no player in the league who can defend him. You have to block and press the ball carrier, and he has to face multiple defenders. That's the hard part, because when you defend him with multi-man, his passing is great, he's going to find open teammates and you have to put in a lot of effort after that. But it just can't fuel their fast break, try to let him fall into the position to play, try to let him face multiple defenses.

3. Malone: I hope James will feel tired

Malone said: This is the 21st season of James' career, and this guy is still improving. This season, he shot a career-high three-point percentage. When you sit down and watch as a fan, it's amazing. Not only his historical achievements, but also his performances in today's games are incredible.

I was hoping he would feel tired, I was hoping he would be drained, but I didn't see any signs of James slowing down at all. I think it's going to be another big challenge for our team. They have two All-Stars, two All-Star players, and they also have players like Russell, Reaves and Hachimura, as well as bench players. They have 12 wins and 3 losses in their last 15 matches. They've found a good rhythm in that squad and they're playing at a high level.

4. James: The Nuggets are the champions

Speaking about the first-round opponent, the Nuggets, James said: "We just need to be better in every aspect. Obviously, we are playing against a fantastic team, a team that has won the championship. So they played a lot of important races and knew what they wanted in the final stages of the game. So we have to be very disciplined and give our full attention for the whole 48 minutes. It's going to be a challenge, but that's what the playoffs are all about. That's how it should be.

5. James: The playoffs are a lot of physical and mental drain

When it comes to the physical and mental stria of preparing for the playoffs, James said: "It's a bit of both. Of course, the playoffs bring physical exertion, and the intensity of confrontation in the game is greatly increased, which takes a lot of toll on your body, but at the same time, your mental exertion will also be doubled. So, the mental drain is also very large. It's funny, though.

6. James: I'm not looking forward to fighting the Nuggets again

When asked how much he's looking forward to this rematchup with the Nuggets after last year's Western Conference finals, James said: "I think you're putting a little bit too much emphasis on that, it's our first round matchup. I mean, we're looking forward to the playoffs. But I wasn't expecting another showdown. The game is played in a step-by-step manner, and that's what comes out of the matchups. So we look forward to meeting that challenge.

7. James: There is no special motivation

Speaking about the motivation to get revenge on the Nuggets, James said: "It shouldn't be personal. I think when you make things too personal, you throw yourself off the game plan. We have the game plan, get on the field, execute and then accept the result. The last thing you should have asked me this question is, I'm too steady. I've been in the playoffs for too long in my career, so I know you can't be too high in G1 and no matter who the opponent is. You have to be steady.

8. A-Smith: The Lakers win the championship when they win the Nuggets

Celebrity Stephen A Smith said on the show: If James and the Lakers can beat the defending champion Nuggets, they can win everything, including the final championship. I've insisted on all occasions that Jordan is the best player in NBA history, and no one can have any problem with that, but if LeBron wins this championship, I'm really not sure if my insistence that Jordan is the best in history will waver. At this point in his career, there is nothing that can negatively affect LeBron's place in history, but there may be some things that can have a positive impact on his career status, such as winning the Nuggets and winning the championship.

9. Russell: I'll be a butterfly

Speaking about the game against the Nuggets, Russell said: I try to make this game the first game of the season, and my preparation mentality is to care less, play more freely, be a butterfly on the court, and fly.

10. James won five firsts

Data media StatMuse has summarized a set of James' playoff career stats. Playoff career stat leaders among active players:

Score – James

Rebound – James

Assist – James

Steal – James

Blocks – James

James played in 282 career playoff games, the most in history.