The Los Angeles Lakers opened their 2025-26 NBA campaign with a 119-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night — but the biggest story wasn’t on the court.
It was on the bench.
LeBron James, sidelined with a sciatic nerve irritation, watched the game from the sidelines in street clothes. The 40-year-old superstar, in his 23rd NBA season, appeared noticeably subdued during timeouts and huddles — a contrast to his usual animated presence.
Lakers reporter Jovan Buha noted the shift on his podcast Buha’s Block, saying James “wasn’t as engaged as he typically is when he’s out.”
“Yeah, I mean I don’t wanna play armchair psychologist here,” Buha said. “But the vibes with that situation have not been the best, I’ll say. Just looking at the huddle or the bench, he wasn’t as engaged as he typically is when he’s out. You just never know when someone’s having a bad day … but his body language was not great.”
LeBron ‘Watching Closely’ During Recovery
As James continues his recovery from the sciatic issue — an ailment he described earlier this month as “stubborn and unpredictable” — insiders believe he’ll be keeping a close eye on how the Lakers perform without him.
“LeBron’s gonna be watching while he’s out,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said on NBA Today earlier this month. “If they’re struggling, that could lead to the next step — maybe he’s gonna have to go elsewhere to find that winning combination.”
The Lakers’ sluggish start only amplifies the uncertainty surrounding James’ future in Los Angeles. He exercised his $52.6 million player option this offseason but did not sign a contract extension, leaving the door open to unrestricted free agency in 2026.
LeBron’s Distance From Lakers’ Offseason Raises Questions
Adding to the intrigue, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that James was largely uninvolved in the Lakers’ front office activities this summer — a sharp contrast to previous offseasons when his influence loomed large over personnel decisions.
“LeBron James’ focus is really just on this season,” Charania said in September on ESPN’s NBA Today. “His future beyond that depends on how this team performs. The one request he’s made is that he wants the Lakers to become a title contender. Outside of that, my understanding is he hasn’t been involved at all in Lakers operations. He’s gonna report for camp, but there haven’t been the usual inquiries from LeBron about what’s going on.”
That level of detachment has raised eyebrows across the league, especially given James’ integral role in Los Angeles’ team-building decisions since his arrival in 2018.
Luka Dončić Era Officially Begins in Los Angeles
Meanwhile, the Lakers’ pivot to Luka Dončić as the franchise’s new focal point has become increasingly clear. The 26-year-old superstar — acquired in a blockbuster trade last year — is now at the center of every major team move.
Reports of a private meeting involving Dončić, his business manager Lara Beth Seager, Lakers president Rob Pelinka, and coach JJ Redick — notably without James — went viral following the team’s first-round playoff exit last season.
Dončić later played an active role in recruiting the Lakers’ major offseason additions, including former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton and 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, signaling a generational handover within the franchise. The team doubled down on that commitment by giving Dončić a three-year, $165 million contract extension.
To celebrate, the Lakers even flew Dončić and select teammates to a Backstreet Boys concert in Las Vegas — his favorite boy band — with LeBron again absent from the festivities.
Dončić dropped a 43-point near-triple-double performance on opening night, but it was not enough to carry the Lakers without James.
What’s Next for LeBron and the Lakers?
The Lakers’ season-opening loss underscores a growing question around the organization: what’s next for LeBron James?
He remains under contract, but his reduced engagement — combined with his health concerns and the team’s public embrace of Dončić — has fueled speculation that this could be the beginning of the end of his Lakers tenure.
The sciatic nerve injury has no set timetable, though Charania reported that the team is “hopeful” he could return by mid-November.
Until then, James will be watching closely — perhaps not just as a teammate, but as an observer deciding his own next chapter.
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