Just one game into the 2025-26 NBA season, and the wheels are starting to fall off the bus for the Los Angeles Lakers.
NBA fans around the country, rejoice! Basketball is back, and has already given us some thrilling games. On top of that, NBC has already turned the vibes of the season upside down, celebrating the game rather than tearing down players.
For most NBA fans, watching the Los Angeles Lakers struggle is a rare but fun treat. On opening night, they fell to the Golden State Warriors 119-109. They will have a chance at redemption on Friday night, aiming to take down the Minnesota Timberwolves, who bounced them in the playoffs last year.
With only one game under their belt and their second-best player, LeBron James, still sidelined, the Lakers shouldn’t panic just yet. However, it’s not looking like James will get his Hollywood ending.
Los Angeles Lakers’ Culture Is Tanking
The Lakers have long boasted a culture of excellence. There have been spats along the way, but more often than not, players are eager to fill their roles in the pursuit of a title.
Against the Warriors, Luka Doncic dazzled. Yes, he missed a lot of 3s, but other than that, he was electric on the offensive end. His play only cemented what fans have long known: this is not James’ team anymore.
At 40 years old, James’ ability to play at a high level cannot be discounted. The fact that he is the second option on a team with title hopes is an amazing feat worth celebrating. However, he has never been asked to play second fiddle before.
Can he adjust? Early returns say no!
On paper, a lineup of Doncic, James, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton with Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vandebilt, Jaxson Hayes, Dalton Knecht, and Bronny James coming off the bench seems to be elite.
However, “on paper” never works for the Lakers. Any James-led team is addicted to drama and has to deal with bouts of discontentment.
When most players are long retired, James can still produce at a high level, although it seems like no one has sat him down and given it to him straight: You are not a top-five player anymore. Doncic is. It’s his team.
“The vibes with that situation have not been the best,” said Lakers’ insider Jovan Buha. “I thought there were times just looking at the huddle or looking at the bench that he wasn’t as engaged as he typically is when he’s out.”
Maybe James “wasn’t as engaged” in an effort to give Doncic and JJ Redick ample space to lead. Lakers fans would want to believe that, but the truth might be harder to swallow.
“In the observations I made of the body language, it was not great,” Buha added. “And I do think it was a bit different than what it has been in the past in this same situation of him being out.”
James is not the best player on the Lakers. He is not the most important player in Los Angeles. However, he is incredibly important to their title hopes, and a stubborn or checked-out James on the roster is almost as dangerous as having an in-his-prime James facing off against you.
Losing to the Warriors shouldn’t give the Lakers reason to panic. If they lose to the Wolves, there shouldn’t be a reason to panic. If James starts acting like “LeGM” despite not having those powers anymore, then the Lakers might need to reassess some things and have difficult discipline talks with the greatest player to ever lace them up.
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