I Don't Care That He is My Favorite Athlete Ever, LeBron James Lost The Lakers Game 4

Heading into game four of their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were in must-win mode, trailing the series 2 games to 1.

In the fourth quarter, the Lakers had a double-digit lead, and it seemed all but certain we were headed back to Los Angeles for game five with the series tied at two games apiece. But then, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves stormed back to steal the game and now have the Lakers on the ropes. While the Timberwolves and their star, Anthony Edwards, rose to the occasion, LeBron James, my all-time favorite athlete, essentially disappeared in the fourth, and in my opinion, his crucial mistakes down the stretch were the reason the Lakers lost this game and, in all likelihood, the series.

It wasn't just the fact that he didn't score any points when he needed to; he also made critical mistakes with the game in the balance, which all but sealed the Lakers' fate. On an inbound pass with about 30 seconds to go and the Lakers only down one, James turned the ball over to Jaden McDaniels, and then later on, while people are mad about the camera angle, the fact is he did foul Anthony Edwards on the wrist, which led to three Timberwolves throws.

A lot of people are upset that Lakers coach JJ Redick stuck with the same five players on the court throughout the entire second half, but I'm not. That lineup got them that twelve-point lead, and if anyone felt like they needed a breather, they could have told him, and I'm sure he would have found a way to make it happen.

While the box score looks good for LeBron, who finished with 27-12-8, I think the collapse in this game falls on him, which isn't easy for me to say with him being my favorite athlete ever, but it is the cold truth with his lack of aggressiveness and errors down the stretch.

A truly horrifying performance from James. While I do expect the Lakers to win game five, I don't see a 3-1 comeback happening this time for LeBron and company this time around.