The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a hot start in the Western Conference, beginning the season 10–4 for the second straight year. They’ve done it without arguably the greatest player to ever touch a basketball: LeBron James. Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic have held things together, but even they don’t possess one trait James brings.
“One thing LeBron brings is that push. Luka, he'll fast break, but he's under control. He's always in 2nd or 3rd gear. LeBron will push it, and that's what they're missing a little bit is that flow and that pace of putting the pressure on the defense,” former Laker James Worthy said.
James has been practicing with the G League, and on Monday he was a full participant with the Lakers. After practice, he met with the media. Many have speculated that James isn’t happy about no longer being the first option or about his adjusted role, but he put that talk to rest.
“Don’t matter… I’ve never had a position… There’s not one team, one club, in the world that I can’t fit in and play for. I can do everything on the floor,” James told the media.
The message from James is straightforward: he doesn’t care about the specifics of his role as long as he’s competing for a championship.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
James will play off the ball when needed and be the primary ball handler when needed. He’s willing to do whatever it takes, and his comments made that clear.
He isn’t concerned with having a defined role. He understands that roles shift throughout the season when playing alongside other superstars. It’s safe to say James isn’t worried about the outside criticism.