The Los Angeles Lakers opened their 2025-26 regular season on Tuesday without star forward LeBron James, yet he still caught the attention of some from the bench during the game. Specifically, James was seen on the bench displaying body language that some may categorize as unenthusiastic.
One person asked Lakers insider Jovan Buha if James’ questionable energy is having a negative impact on team chemistry, and while he didn’t give a concrete answer, he did say that the vibes surrounding the 40-year-old’s situation “have not been the best.”
“Yeah, I mean I don’t wanna play armchair psychologist here, so I’m — I wanna refrain from too much speculation,” he said. “But the vibes with that situation have not been the best, I’ll say. So, again, I don’t really wanna go too much down that road, but yeah, I mean, 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.
“You just never know what some — someone’s having a bad day or something’s going — whatever. You don’t wanna project onto people what you think they are feeling or acting like. But just in the observations I made of the body language, was not great, 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.”
Tuesday marked the first time in James’ incredibly lengthy career that he missed the first game of a season, and maybe that explains his body language. It’s possible he was simply frustrated that he couldn’t take the floor and help his teammates pick up a win against a talented Golden State Warriors squad.
Plus, it’s not like the Lakers gave James all that much to cheer about in their season opener. Not only did they lose by 10 points, but the squad looked clunky at times. Key addition Deandre Ayton finished with just 10 points and six rebounds, and he wasn’t as aggressive as he should have been on offense, as he attempted just seven shots. He also had four turnovers.
Los Angeles’ supporting cast around its leading scorers Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic simply didn’t bring enough to the table for the team to come out on top. After all, no other Laker scored more than 10 points in the contest.
If it weren’t for a herculean performance from the Slovenian, the Lakers could have been in store for a blowout loss. Doncic kicked off his first full season as a Laker with a bang and totaled 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. He made his hay in the painted area, going 13-for-14 in that range.
It’s unclear exactly when James will make his season debut for the Lakers, but since he isn’t expected to play when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in their next game, his body language from the bench will be worth monitoring.