35-year-old LeBron James is going to a 10th NBA Finals – and for the first time in a decade, so are the Los Angeles Lakers.
James punctuated his 27th career postseason triple-double with a big fourth quarter, powering the Lakers to a 117-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets to win the Western Conference finals in five games.
James finished with 38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists to become the fourth player to reach 10 NBA Finals.
It is the 32nd time the Lakers have reached the championship series and they will face the winners of the Eastern Conference final between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat, with the Heat leading 3-2 going into game six on Monday (00:30 BST).
The Lakers’ last NBA Finals success, which was against the Celtics, was led by Kobe Bryant, and James again paid tribute to the star who died in a helicopter crash in January.
“Everytime you put on the purple and gold you think about his legacy, you think about him and what he meant to this franchise for 20-plus years,” he said.
“We’re going to enjoy it tonight, but we understand we’ve got bigger fish to fry. We understand there’s a bigger goal.
“I’m extremely proud to be a part of this franchise getting back to where it belongs, and that’s playing for championships.”
Lakers coach, Frank Vogel, praised James’ display against the Nuggets, who had come 3-1 down twice already in the play-offs.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever witnessed a guy take over a game the way he did in the fourth quarter tonight in person,” he said. “It was remarkable.”
