Beating the LeBron James-led Cavaliers is a state of mind. It’s been that way since 2006, his first year in the playoffs. James has made it at least into the second round every year from that season onward. That’s 13 straight post-seasons, including this year. In that time, he’s been knocked out just three times in the Conference Semifinals — in ‘06, his first postseason, ‘08, and ‘10.
There are reasons for all three of those losses, plus others in the Conference Finals, and, most dramatically, the NBA Finals, but the lesson remains the same across the entire era: LeBron James can lose, it can happen — it has happened.