LeBron James heard the chatter and can only laugh about it. Just several weeks after the entire NBA asked the question, ‘Are the Los Angeles Lakers better off without LBJ?’, the superstar forward let his game do the talking.
James was instrumental in the Purple and Gold’s last four victories against elite opponents. The four-time MVP did what he had to do against the Denver Nuggets in overtime, and then carved up the Houston Rockets’ defense in back-to-back contests. And in his return to Miami, LBJ amassed a huge triple-double to help the team win eight in a row.
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Addressing the narrative
By collecting 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Heat, James broke his own record as the oldest in league history to register a triple-double. (Bron had 28/10/12 against Dallas on February 12, 2026.)
Possible embed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQD3aUmRiKE
However, the Lakers, especially Bron, looked dead in the water at the tail end of February, losing four of their last seven games. The main issue was that the Purple and Gold were beating teams they were supposed to beat, but they were not equipped to handle the top-tier squads. Fans and pundits point out James’s lack of activity on defense and the penchant for careless turnovers in crucial situations.
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There was a semblance of truth to the narrative. Besides the Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs (early in the season), and a Denver Nuggets squad without Nikola Jokic, the Lakers fell short against New York, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, and a bunch of teams near or at the top. His efficiency is still there, but he lacks the pop in his step that was visibly present during the eight-game run.
It wasn’t that the prevailing commentary was getting on his head. It’s just that LeBron needed the time to figure things out, but the media and the NBA universe were just too quick to offer their two cents for clicks and views.
“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… But they’re absolutely wrong,” James said in the post-game locker room interview.
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LeBron embraces his role
As mentioned, it’s not that the narrative was wrong in the first place. The Lakers are 9-2 when Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves play without James, and the victories against the Knicks and Wolves in back-to-back contests showed significant improvement in the team defense. They held New York to 97 points and the Wolves to 106; Jalen Brunson and Anthony Edwards took a combined 10-for-34 shooting against them.
With the proof of concept right in front of his eyes, LBJ’s selflessness won out. He fully embraced the third-fiddle role, taking a back seat to Doncic and AR in setting up the offense. Over the last five games, The King was third on the team in usage rate, a fact that coach JJ Redick considered a luxury.
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And just like that, the Purple and Gold found the recipe for success. Even though James spent more time off the ball over that stretch, he is often the second-best player on the team behind Doncic. His efficiency is through the roof, shooting 64 percent over the last five games, while co-leading the team in rebounds (7.6) and third in assists (5.8).
For a moment there, the idea of the team thriving without James held up under scrutiny. But in time, it became clear that it was all about letting the others shine while picking his spots to do his thing. The Lakers apparently have figured it out.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.