LeBron James All Smiles Leaving L.A. Restaurant Hours After Lakers' Playoff Loss

LeBron James is proof "win or lose, we still booze" holds true ... 'cause the Lakers superstar had a wine night with his buddies after Los Angeles was booted from the postseason on Wednesday.

King James was spotted leaving Wally's Beverly Hills early Thursday morning ... with sources saying he was at the establishment until roughly 4 AM.

The four-time champ looked pretty cheerful despite what happened hours prior ... sporting a Louis Vuitton outfit and a big grin as he headed toward his vehicle with a giant water bottle and lower back cushion in hand.

LBJ's friends were there, too ... including at least NBA super-agent and longtime pal Rich Paul and Corey Gamble, who were also at Crypto.com Arena for Game 5.

It couldn't have been a great viewing experience ... as Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and the rest of the Wolves proved to be too much for the Purple and Gold.

Despite a poor shooting performance, James had 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists on the night ... but it was clear the Lakers were at a major disadvantage with a much smaller lineup.

Regardless, it looks like Bron was able to get over the loss with some vino ... so perhaps Lakers Nation should give it a try, too??