Lakers 2025-26 Player Preview: LeBron James
Wait, this guy is still here? You’re joking. How?! LeBron James is entering an absurd and unprecedented 23rd year in the league. For reference, Lakers summer FA signing Jake LaRavia is 23 years old. LeBron James is playing with his own son, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in the history of the sport.
Simply mindblowing facts. What makes these accomplishments even sillier is the fact that he’s not some scrub laboring up and down the court as we’ve seen with many legends towards the end. The man made the All-NBA Second Team last season.
With every milestone the King has ever hit, including becoming the leading scorer in the history of the game, he still enters his 23rd season with a fire and passion as if it were his first time lacing up his sneakers.
LeBron James on his 23rd year in the NBA:
“This all still feels like the first time I picked up a basketball. It still feels like the first time I stepped inside a middle school gym.” 🥲
(via @bronhistory) pic.twitter.com/TByvWziIxb
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 2, 2025
Expectations for James in 2025-26
When it comes to expectations for the NBA’s oldest player, are there really any at this point? In his time with the Lakers, LeBron James has been a model of consistency. You know what you’re going to get. Truthfully, it’s been that way throughout his entire career.
Every season, you can expect LeBron to average somewhere in the ballpark of 25 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 7.5 APG. That expectation is based on quite literally every season he’s ever played, as he boasts career averages of 27 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 7.4 APG. Insanity.
This longevity we’re seeing, however, is something that we can’t base any expectations around, as it’s something we’ve never seen before. 23 seasons is officially the most played in NBA history. These are uncharted waters.
You pair that with the fact that LeBron is now playing with unarguably the best teammate of his career, who is 14 years younger than him, and that changes the expectations even more.
Doncic Changes the Equation
For years, the goal in LA has been to gradually reduce James’ workload throughout the regular season. He’s still a top-10 player in the league, but nowhere near capable of carrying a team for a full 82 games, followed by an additional solo-playoff run as he used to be.
The goal was for Anthony Davis to eventually take that mantle. While Davis was a fantastic Laker through his tenure, he was never able to fully ascend to that level. Luka Doncic is different.
He’ll allow for LeBron to pick and choose his spurts of greatness throughout the season, as he should be allowed to at his age. Hopefully, this leads to a much more rejuvenated and healthy LeBron as the playoffs roll around.
To that fact, don’t be surprised to see some of his averages take a dip this season. If that results in a healthier, higher-energy LeBron in the playoffs, so be it.
