The last time LeBron James got swept in a seven-game series was in 2018 when Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and the rest of the Golden State Warriors overpowered LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. On Monday night, the Denver Nuggets intend to deliver a similar blow for James as they look to close out the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

For Stephen A Smith, LeBron will be facing a very harsh reality if the Lakers indeed end up getting swept on Monday. According to the renowned ESPN broadcaster, a loss in Game 4 would mark the end of James' hopes for a fifth career championship:

“It would be an official stamp on the belief that LeBron James will never capture a fifth ring. It's really that simple,” Stephen A said. “This team is not good enough, and it's not going to be good enough in the future without some tweaks.”

That's savage. Then again, you can't completely blame Smith for taking on this exact mindset. Many folks out there believe that this is LeBron James' last real opportunity to win a ring. The Lakers have done a tremendous job in getting themselves into the West Finals in spite of all the trials and tribulations they went through this season. However, all their effort will be put to waste if they don't win it all this year. Even more so if they suffer an embarrassing 4-0 sweep at the hands of the Denver Nuggets — on their own home floor — on Monday night.