The LA Lakers are one win away from winning their first NBA title since 2010. If the Lakers can pull off the win, LeBron James will have won his fourth overall championship. The Lakers have a 3-1 lead over the Heat, and James has been in this situation before.

Coincidentally he had a 3-1 series lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals when he was a member of the Heat.

A look at LeBron James last three NBA titles

LeBron James has a lot of experience in the postseason. He has made the playoffs a total of 13 times, and he had a streak of 13 consecutive appearances in the playoffs that ended in 2019. James also had a streak of eight consecutive finals appearances from 2011 to 2018. During that time, he won three championships. His first appearance in the NBA Finals came in 2007 as the Cleveland Cavaliers took on the San Antonio Spurs. James was in his fourth NBA season, and it was his second appearance in the playoffs as the Spurs swept the Cavaliers.

He finally got to experience playing in the NBA Finals, and he was determined to get back. The next time James returned to the finals was in 2011 with the Heat. Miami took on the Dallas Mavericks, and Dallas won the series 4-2. James was 0-2 in the NBA Finals, but that would change the next season. He won his first title as the Heat defeated the Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals. The Heat would go on to win the title in 2013, defeating the Spurs to go back-to-back.

James won his third title with the Cavaliers in 2016 as they defeated the Golden State Warriors. He may have a losing record at 3-6, but the fact that he’s appeared in eight consecutive finals during his career is very impressive. After dominating in the Eastern Conference for most of his career, he’s looking to do the same in the west.

LeBron James in familiar territory being up 3-1 in the NBA Finals

The Lakers have dominated during the 2020 NBA Playoffs, and they have shown why they came into the playoffs as the top seed in the Western Conference. In every series leading up to the finals, the Lakers have only lost one game in each series. Now they can end the series in Game 5 against the Heat. 

The last time James took a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals came in 2012. The Heat was playing in their second consecutive NBA Finals against the Thunder. When the series started, the Thunder won the first game 105-94. After Game 1, the Heat took control of the series and went on to win the next four games as James won his first NBA title. That series James was named the Finals MVP as he averaged 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. Now James is up 3-1 for a second in his career playing in the finals. James was determined to get to the NBA Finals before the season started, and now he’s one win away from adding another title to his resume.

The NBA title will be significant for James

Winning this year’s NBA title will mean a lot for James and the entire Lakers organization. When NBA legend Kobe Bryant passed away earlier in 2020, his death impacted the entire NBA and sports world. With Bryant spending his entire career with the Lakers, the organization was devastated when they heard the news about his death. James developed a close relationship with Bryant over the years, and he looked up to him as a player.

Though this will be James’ fourth title, if the Lakers win it this year, this title will be a dedication to Bryant. James will also have the chance to win a title with his third different team. For so many years, the Lakers have been one of the top teams in the league, and when James joined the team in 2018, he wanted to turn the franchise around, and that’s what he did.