Forward LeBron James will soon play his first game of the season for the Los Angeles Lakers. He has yet to make his season debut with a sciatica injury, but he practiced with the Lakers in full for the first time of the campaign on Monday, and he’s questionable to suit up against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.
With James’ season debut nearing, Lakers guard Austin Reaves — someone who’s thrived in the 40-year-old’s absence — gushed about the star’s “presence” as well as his ability to “lift up” a team.
“Just presence,” Reaves said. “He’s, in my opinion, the greatest player to ever touch basketball. And I guarantee you, if you ask basically our whole team, a lot of the young guys would say he is their favorite player ever. So, his presence, his ability to lift up a team and, obviously, his IQ. Yeah, it’s just, it’s good to have him back.”
Sans James so far this season, Reaves is averaging 28.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. He’s been one of the league’s breakout stars to begin the campaign, and even though Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal thinks Reaves will be relegated to standing in the corner on offense upon James’ return, the 27-year-old’s comments suggest he isn’t worried about that.
While it is likely that Reaves’ usage rate and touches will take a dip with a healthy James in the lineup, it’s ultimately for the betterment of the team. The league’s oldest active player needs to be on the court and at full strength for the Lakers to fulfill their championship hopes this season. Even though he’s on the other side of 40, James has yet to show any major signs of decline and remains one of the NBA’s best all-around talents.
If James can stay healthy, the Lakers might just have the mix of talent and coaching needed to win the storied franchise another championship in 2026. Even without James on the floor, the Lakers have fared well to begin the season and own the fourth-best record of any team in the West at 10-4. Guard Luka Doncic is playing some of the best basketball of his career after the work he put in on his body in the offseason, and the Lakers’ supporting cast looks majorly improved compared to the season prior.
Maybe the Lakers should rest James on the second night of back-to-backs after he returns to ensure he’ll be healthy for the 2026 NBA Playoffs. He already has so much mileage on his body, and such a strategy could help keep him fresh for when the games start to matter more.