“He was done, he was burnt out” – LeBron James NO LONGER the force he once was, suggests Bruce Brown while explaining why Nuggets SWEPT Lakers
James and Co. had no answer for Brown and the 2023 NBA Champions.
Bruce Brown and LeBron James (Image via ISAIAH J. DOWNING-USA TODAY SPORTS)
Bruce Brown is on cloud nine right now. The former Denver Nuggets‘ 6th man was one of their most crucial pieces, helping them win the 2023 NBA Championship in convincing fashion over the Miami Heat. He then made the decision to join the Indiana Pacers on a 2-year, $45 million deal in free agency, thereby securing the bag as well.
He made an appearance on Theo Pinson‘s ‘Run Your Race’ podcast recently where he was asked about the Nuggets’ spectacular playoff run and particularly about that Western Conference Finals series against the Los Angeles Lakers which ended in a sweep. After going up 2-0, Brown was confident about winning Game 3 but had his reservations about Game 4. Post halftime of Game 4, Brown was certain the Nuggets would win after he saw that LeBron James had “ran out of gas”.
“I knew we were going to get Game 3. I thought they would get Game 4 just off of they’re down 3-0 and they’re going to play way harder, but Bron ran out of gas. Like he had 30 in the first half. He was going to have to score 60. He was done. He was burnt out,” said Brown.
James certainly left it all out on the floor for his team and tried to extend the series to a Game 5 but it just wasn’t enough as the Nuggets had enough firepower to respond to any run the Lakers made. Brown’s comments are sure to add fuel to the fire for James, who just about a month ago expressed his displeasure at the way the Nuggets behaved prior to, during, and post that series.
It all started with Nuggets head coach Michael Malone being upset with the media for constantly talking about the Lakers and not his team. He even went to the extent of trolling the Lakers during the Nuggets’ championship ceremony.
Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were the toughest players to guard last season, as per Bruce Brown
While Brown is a great offensive player, his main forte is defense. When he is on the floor, he often takes up the assignment of guarding the opponent’s quickest or best player in order to disrupt their rhythm. During the course of the season, he guarded the likes of Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Devin Booker, and so on.
But according to Brown, the players that proved to be the toughest cover were Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, both of whom had incredible seasons. Brown had a closer look at Edwards as the two faced off in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, with the ‘Ant-man’ taking his game to the next level right before Brown and the Nuggets’ eyes.
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Rishabh Gangwani
(58 Articles Published)