There are some that will tell you having LeBron James around the corner from his season debut with the Los Angeles Lakers is a bad thing. It is genuinely baffling to try and wrap one's head around how someone could rationally come to that conclusion.
The idea that James will destroy team chemistry or upset the fit of the pieces in Los Angeles is incredibly silly. LeBron has seen more versions of a basketball team than most could imagine. Thinking that one of the smartest players in NBA history cannot figure out how to best compliment a team takes some serious mental gymnastics.
JJ Redick certainly did not believe the concerns were anywhere close to what they were being made out to be. The Lakers head coach comfortably backed the ability of his superstar player to figure things out upon his return (h/t Khobi Price).
Redick said, "I would describe him as very adaptable. Not just in my time, but he's adapted throughout his career to the system, his teammates, what the game requires. The league has evolved, [and] he's evolved. It's why he's still in year 23 and coming off of an All-NBA season in year 22."
LeBron James can mold himself into anything the Lakers need him to be
To Redick's point, consider how much the league has changed since James was taken first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. The NBA is wildly different in 2025, and the Lakers superstar has changed his approach to the game to fit with that, continuing to thrive in the process.
Some may argue that James is too ball dominant. That argument ignores the necessity of what his role has been over recent years.
LeBron has already discussed wanting to improve his off-ball arsenal to fit with the guys around him on offense back at media day. The quiet part about that is James already excelling during 2024-25 in that department.
In an effort to figure out how to be most effective on a team where he doesn't need to handle the ball as much, James told reporters that a lot of time was put into working on his catch and shoot 3-pointers. Funny enough, LeBron was already the team's best player there.
James led the Lakers with 42.0 percent on 2.9 catch and shoot attempts from beyond the arc in 2024-25. The NBA's all-time leading scorer only trailed Rui Hachimura when it comes to the overall field goal percentage on all catch and shoot opportunities, and it was by a hair.
The Lakers need his support too. Los Angeles ranks 24th in 3-point percentage and is a bottom-10 catch and shoot team from deep.
Willfully ignoring someone telling you exactly how the formula can (and probably will) work is as disingenuous as it sounds. James will not rock the boat. LeBron does not even need to steer the ship. Approaching his 41st birthday, why would he even want to?