LeBron James, NBA
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 27, 2023

LeBron James Earns Another NBA Record With Opening Day Loss

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is once again in the NBA record book! By losing the season-opening contest, he became the first NBA player to lose 14 straight opening-day games.

The Lakers lost against the Denver Nuggets, 119-107, placing James in rare company as he broke a record no one would be proud of. Basketball Network reported that with the opening game defeat, he became the first NBA player to lose 14 straight opening-day games. He was tied for the record with former Dallas Maverick player Jason Terry.

James has a dismal record throughout his career when it comes to regular season-opening games. In 21 years, the league’s all-time top scorer has a losing record of 7-14.

With that season-opening defeat, the Lakers continued their losing streak as well. For the past seven years, the team has lost the first game of the season, tying with five other teams (the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, L.A. Clippers, and Brooklyn Nets) for the distinction of having the third-longest season opener losing streak in NBA history. Next year, if they lose the opening game again, they will see themselves tied with the Atlanta Hawks with eight straight season-opening defeats. Yet, they still have several years to go to tie with the Memphis Grizzlies, who lost 13 straight opening season games.


×