LeBron James would frequently yawn both while the cameras were on him and when they weren't. It was never really a secret from the beginning of the season,
when the Lakers were still working to solve their insurmountable issues from the previous campaign, to the height of this playoff push.
The Lakers and James would not be able to extend the year any further because it was so long, intellectually taxing, and physically demanding.
But on Monday night, James gave everything he had—all the energy his 38-year-old body could muster. He brought his squad together. Beyond that, he was at his limit.
While James missed two opportunities to score, Denver's Nikola Jokic made the game's biggest shot, helping the Nuggets sweep the Lakers and advance to the NBA Finals 113-111.
James finished with 40 points after scoring 31 in the first half to give the Lakers a 15-point lead. He took a four-second break.
He arrived at Crypto.com Arena before the game even started, as the NBA was practicing handing over the conference championship trophy to the Nuggets for the first time in team history.