Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James during an NBA game.
LeBron James has slowly bought into his role as the third option for the Los Angeles Lakers, and while head coach JJ Redick outwardly said that is his best spot on the team might have played a part in that, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer called out the critics, saying the team is better without him.
For the majority of the season, the Lakers were playing better without James; the numbers across the board showed that was true.
But over the past month, that script has flipped, and now that James is buying into his role as the team’s third option, the success has followed.
LeBron James As ‘Third Option’ With Lakers
LeBron James
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacted to the media’s comments, saying the team is better without him.
While it has been Luka Doncic leading the way for the Lakers over the past month, as they’ve gone 12-1 in their last 13 games, James has quieted the criticism that the team would be better without him, even if that means he’s no longer a top-two option on the offensive side of the ball.
But though he has taken his new role in stride, James gave a strong reaction to the thought that the Lakers would be better suited for a championship without him.
Dave McMenamin
“It sells papers a lot easier — and clippings and podcasts — if you say, ‘LeBron, the team is better off without him.’ A lot of people will try to like view it. So, I get it. … They’re absolutely wrong.” – LeBron after 49 pts on 21-for-26 FGs and going 2-0 in last 24 hours
“I mean, it sells papers a lot easier — and clippings and podcasts — if you say, ‘LeBron, the team is better off without him,’” James told reporters after the team’s latest win. “A lot of people will try to, like, view it. So, I get it…But they’re absolutely wrong.”
For the first two thirds of the season, the narrative that the Lakers were better without James, on paper, was true. The duo of Doncic and Austin Reaves on the court outranked any other combination of the Lakers’ three stars, whether it be net rating, record, or any other major metric.
But now, that has changed. Granted, it did come after Redick publicly said Los Angeles would be best suited with James as the third option, but he’s still a crucial part of the offense, despite being the oldest player in the league.
Run It Back
Lou Williams has no issue with what JJ Redick said about LeBron James 💯
“If you got two other guys, you don’t want to run LeBron into the ground especially over the course of a long season and you have championship aspirations.”
@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23
Sam Amick of The Athletic laid out the Lakers stats both pre and post James’ apparent buy-in to his new role.
“Through Feb. 27, when I excluded them from the list of eight title-contending teams (and two honorable mentions) …Record: 34-24 (sixth in the Western Conference. Net rating: 19th (minus-0.7). Offensive rating: 11th (116). Defensive rating: 24th (116.8),” he wrote.
“Since Feb. 28: Record: 12-1 (now third in the West), with wins over New York, Minnesota, Denver, Houston (twice), Miami and Orlando. Net rating: Fourth (10.4; tied with San Antonio). Offensive rating: Third (121.5). Defensive rating: Eighth (111.1).”
But though James’ usage rate and offensive responsibility have dropped, the notion that the team would be better without him feels like a moot point right now. That could have been true in the first five months of the regular season, but now that he’s finally bought into his new role, the Lakers look like a new team.
LeBron James This Season For The Lakers
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers
GettyLeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers
In 50 games this season, James is averaging 21.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists on 51.4% shooting, all of the counting stats seeing a major drop off this season as he’s played next to Doncic and Reaves.
He missed the first month of the year with sciatica and has been battling other injuries since, sitting out a few games here and there as Father Time now finally appears to be catching up to the four-time Finals MVP.
But even though James has changed the narrative that the team is better without him, it’s only been for a small sample size. He has been playing without the ball in his hands less and less, and while that’s come with his numbers taking a downturn, it begs the question of whether Los Angeles is truly interested in keeping him around after this season.
James previously said that he’s unsure about his plans after this season, and while the performance he’s shown in 2025-26 is good enough for several teams around the league to be interested in him in free agency this summer, the Lakers might not be willing to pay him what he’s looking for in a retirement tour.
The 41-year-old has been solid for Los Angeles this season, but questions remain of if he can keep performing at this current role for a prolonged stretch.