In the NBA, one would think a Game 7 would be best played at home, but LeBron James has a different experience. According to his agent, Rich Paul, in a chat with Max Kellerman on the “Game Over” podcast, James actually prefers to hit the road for a Game 7 in the playoffs, and it’s for a very particular reason.
“One thing LeBron used to always say to me is, ‘I don’t want to play a home game for Game 7. I’d rather play on the road.’ I asked why, and he said, ‘Because there’s less ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs.’ When you’re on the road, it’s just you,” Paul explained. “From every miss from the home is an ‘ooh’ or an ‘ahhh.’ So every time there’s something, there’s a reaction to it. It’s not about him playing to the crowd; it’s about the crowd not playing to every possession. He would rather play on the road, but some guys would rather play at home because you feel that [juice].”
LeBron James is more experienced than most when it comes to Game 7s. He’s 6-2 all-time in his career, including the 2016 NBA Finals, when he completed a 3-1 series comeback against the Warriors. Interestingly, James is undefeated in Game 7s at home, while being 2-2 on the road. Still, there’s something about the purity of basketball on the road that LeBron enjoys.
While every Lakers game is a home game to some extent, being on the road involves much less pressure and way fewer distractions than a playoff setting at the Crypto.com Arena. For James, the overreactions from the fans are enough for him to lean more toward the road environment.
That could be why he’s had some of his best and most career-defining games in enemy territory. The best example is his 45-point performance against the Celtics in 2008. While his team went on to lose that game, he sent a message to everyone that he could deliver in the biggest moments, on the biggest stage.
Of course, if the Lakers don’t step up and they fall out of the top six, James’ preferences could become their latest reality as they fight for one of the final two spots. They’d lose home-court advantage, meaning any Game 7 would be on the road.
It’s not a scenario the Lakers would prefer, but the odds would still favor a series victory, given that LeBron excels on the road just as much as he thrives at home. Location or fanfare have never been an issue for the King, and his ability to focus on the game at hand means that he can be effective in virtually any environment.
