LeBron James watched "every single minute" of the 2019 playoffs from a hookah lounge

As the Los Angeles Lakers are heading to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010, LeBron James is preparing to battle it out in the 10th final of his career. The Lakers topped the Western Conference table going into the postseason and have been dominant during the playoffs series, defeating every opponent by a 4-1 lead. While this is James' 10th NBA Finals appearance, his eight-year streak was broken during the NBA 2019 playoffs. 

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Where was LeBron James during the NBA 2019 playoffs?

Last year, James' groin injury – the first extended one in his career – sidelined him for the latter half of the 2018-19 season. As a result, the Lakers lost back-to-back games, and James missed his first NBA playoffs since 2005. When asked about his location during the NBA 2019 playoffs, James offered multiple answers - one of them being a hookah lounge. While James was at home for most of the series, he was also vacationing for some time in Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. 

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“There were a couple of games where I was at home, there were a couple of games where I was in Cabo and there were a couple of games where I was at a hookah lounge," the three-time NBA champion told reports after LA clinched the Western Conference Finals. However, he added that while he was at the lounge, he did smoke. Though it was difficult missing his first playoffs in so many years, James revealed that he watched "every single minute" of it. 

Game 4 in Toronto 🤔🤔 https://t.co/cIjZ9oUcMd

— Romeo Travis (@RomeTrav)

When talking about the hookah lounge, James admitted that the only reason he went was that they were playing the game. For James, the games were on everywhere, be it his house, Cabo, or the hookah lounge. James admitted that while he loves the sport and its competitive nature, he always wanted to be a part of the moment. "Even on vacation, I did not miss one game. My wife did not like it, but she’ll be OK," James explained. 

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LeBron James NBA Finals history

If James leads the Lakers to their 17th NBA title, he will have won championships with three different teams – the Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat (who they will face this week). Currently, only NBA greats like Bill Russell (12), Same Jones (11) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have played 10 or more NBA Finals. James could also become the first player to win Finals MVP for three different teams.

LeBron James will be the second player to win MVP with a franchise and then face that franchise in the Finals later in his career.

Wilt Chamberlain won MVP with the Warriors in 1959-60 and then faced the Warriors in the 1967 Finals as a member of the 76ers. pic.twitter.com/XCGbaoEmUZ

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo)

James has been dominating the floor this season, averaging 26.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists in the playoffs while shooting 54.7% from the field. The four-time NBA MVP has also surpassed Ray Allen on the all-time playoffs three-pointers list and is now the all-time leader for the most number of playoff wins in NBA history. The Lakers will face the Miami Heat in the finals starting on Wednesday, September 30, 9:00 pm EST (Thursday, 6:30 am IST). 

Also read | Who were the 2019 NBA champions? What happened in the 2019 NBA Finals? NBA 2019 playoffs

(Image credits: AP)