The Lakers were the only home team not to come away with a win on the opening day of the NBA Playoffs. Is it already time to panic in L.A.?
For LeBron James, the feeling of a Game 1 loss is becoming all too familiar. The Lakers’ star has lost more series openers than he’s won since joining the franchise, a trend he was hoping to break against the sixth-seeded Timberwolves.
Even at age 40, James is a feared playoff performer — and history indicates he’s at his best when his back is against the wall.
Here’s a closer look at James’ Game 1 record and how he fared for the remainder of each series.
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LeBron James Game 1 record
James is now 32-24 in Game 1s in his career. While that’s a strong mark overall, it’s not necessarily what you might expect from a player who went to the NBA Finals in eight consecutive seasons and made a habit of carving up the Eastern Conference for much of his career.
Here is the good news for Lakers fans: James’ playoff series record is 41-14. That means he has plenty of experience winning a playoff series when he starts down 1-0.
In fact, James has gone on to win a playoff series after losing a Game 1 a whopping 12 times. That includes two first-round wins, three second-round wins, four conference finals wins and three NBA Finals wins despite Game 1 losses. By contrast, James has only lost two of the 32 series in which he won Game 1.
Here is James’ complete Game 1 history:
| Season | Round | Opponent | Game 1 result | Series result |
| 2006 | First round | Wizards | Win | Win |
| 2006 | Second round | Pistons | Loss | Loss |
| 2007 | First round | Wizards | Win | Win |
| 2007 | Second round | Nets | Win | Win |
| 2007 | East Finals | Pistons | Loss | Win |
| 2007 | NBA Finals | Spurs | Loss | Loss |
| 2008 | First round | Wizards | Win | Win |
| 2008 | Second round | Celtics | Loss | Loss |
| 2009 | First round | Pistons | Win | Win |
| 2009 | Second round | Hawks | Win | Win |
| 2009 | East Finals | Magic | Loss | Loss |
| 2010 | First round | Bulls | Win | Win |
| 2010 | Second round | Celtics | Win | Loss |
| 2011 | First round | 76ers | Win | Win |
| 2011 | Second round | Celtics | Win | Win |
| 2011 | East Finals | Bulls | Loss | Win |
| 2011 | NBA Finals | Mavericks | Win | Loss |
| 2012 | First round | Knicks | Win | Win |
| 2012 | Second round | Pacers | Win | Win |
| 2012 | East Finals | Celtics | Win | Win |
| 2012 | NBA Finals | Thunder | Loss | Win |
| 2013 | First round | Bucks | Win | Win |
| 2013 | Second round | Bulls | Loss | Win |
| 2013 | East Finals | Pacers | Win | Win |
| 2013 | NBA Finals | Spurs | Loss | Win |
| 2014 | First round | Bobcats | Win | Win |
| 2014 | Second round | Nets | Win | Win |
| 2014 | East Finals | Pacers | Loss | Win |
| 2014 | NBA Finals | Spurs | Loss | Loss |
| 2015 | First round | Celtics | Win | Win |
| 2015 | Second round | Bulls | Loss | Win |
| 2015 | East Finals | Hawks | Win | Win |
| 2015 | NBA Finals | Warriors | Loss | Loss |
| 2016 | First round | Pistons | Win | Win |
| 2016 | Second round | Hawks | Win | Win |
| 2016 | East Finals | Raptors | Win | Win |
| 2016 | NBA Finals | Warriors | Loss | Win |
| 2017 | First round | Pacers | Win | Win |
| 2017 | Second round | Raptors | Win | Win |
| 2017 | East Finals | Celtics | Win | Win |
| 2017 | NBA Finals | Warriors | Loss | Loss |
| 2018 | First round | Pacers | Loss | Win |
| 2018 | Second round | Raptors | Win | Win |
| 2018 | East Finals | Celtics | Loss | Win |
| 2018 | NBA Finals | Warriors | Loss | Loss |
| 2020 | First round | Trail Blazers | Loss | Win |
| 2020 | Second round | Rockets | Loss | Win |
| 2020 | West Finals | Lakers | Win | Win |
| 2020 | NBA Finals | Heat | Win | Win |
| 2021 | First round | Suns | Loss | Loss |
| 2023 | First round | Grizzlies | Win | Win |
| 2023 | Second round | Warriors | Win | Win |
| 2023 | West Finals | Nuggets | Loss | Loss |
| 2024 | First round | Nuggets | Loss | Loss |
| 2025 | First round | Timberwolves | Loss | TBD |
NBA PLAYOFFS HQ: Live NBA scores | NBA playoff schedule | NBA playoff bracket
Lakers fans would much rather have a 1-0 series lead, but James’ track record indicates patience may be key after Saturday’s blowout loss to Minnesota.
Lakers Game 1 record
The Lakers are 4-6 in Game 1s since James joined the organization in 2018.
L.A. got off to slow starts against the Trail Blazers and Rockets in 2020 but went on to win each series and win the NBA Finals. Since that point, Game 1 losses have led to series losses in all cases. The Lakers lost Game 1 to the Suns in 2021 and the Nuggets in both 2023 and 2024, losing each series.
James and the Lakers are looking to break that trend this year. A series win over the Timberwolves would end a streak of seven consecutive series in which the Lakers’ Game 1 result matched its series result.
