LeBron James said that he must win an NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers to gain the full respect of Lakers' fans.

"What I've learned being a Laker is that the Laker faithful don't give a damn what you've done before ... They don't care about your résumé at all until you become a Laker.

"Then you've got to do it as a Laker, and then they respect you. I've learned that," said James ahead of game 5.

James, who is 3-0 in the NBA Finals in games with a chance to clinch, could be the first player to go 4-0 in series-clinching games.

James added that he doesn't think about what winning another title would do for his legacy.

"I don't really think about it too much. I think the story will be told how it's supposed to be told and be written how it's supposed to be written. But I don't live my life thinking about legacy. What I do off the floor is what means more to me than what I do on the floor."