LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and the Los Angeles Lakers are flying high to start the 2025 NBA season with a 17-6 record and occupying the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
Fans and players believe that this could be the year that “the King," along with some Luka magic, could bring home an elusive fifth championship ring for one of the greatest of all time.
Well, not James' agent and longtime friend, Rich Paul, who was blunt in his description of L.A.'s chances at winning a ring next summer.
"I personally don't think the Lakers are good enough to be contenders, not right now," he said on his new podcast, "Game Over," with former ESPN “First Take” host Max Kellerman. "I don't think they have enough to get to the Western Conference Final."
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Paul went on to suggest that Lakers standout Austin Reaves, who has become close friends with Doncic and is having an All-NBA season, should possibly come off the bench if the team is serious about aiming for a championship.
James, who recently returned to the lineup following missing almost the first full month of the season with lower back spasms, has re-integrated with the team. After a few slow starts and even seeing his 1,297 consecutive regular-season games with at least 10 points end, he carried the Lakers in their most recent win over the Philadelphia 76ers with a season-high 29 points.
While Paul does not believe the current Lakers configuration can challenge for a title, he reaffirmed that James would see out what could be his last year in Los Angeles. James is set to be an unrestricted free agent come the summer of 2026.
Newsweek