LeBron James proved Dwayne Wade right after first game back from injury

Jon Conahan

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LeBron James proved Dwayne Wade right after first game back from injury image

The Los Angeles Lakers have continued to impress throughout the early stages of the 2025-26 NBA season, sitting at 11-4.

However, a lot of their success has come without LeBron James, as arguably the greatest player ever has just played his first game of the season.

Some Lakers fans believe that Los Angeles would be better off using Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves as its top two players, while others believe that James is needed for this team to reach its full potential. 

When speaking about that, his former legendary teammate, Dwayne Wade, stated that fans who believe that are wrong, and that, for right now, the Lakers aren't a better team with James off the roster.

“This style of play they are playing without LeBron excites everybody, because it’s the future,” Wade said. “(But) you are not better without him.”

“(With James out) It allowed for Luka to run the show, obviously he’s been brought in as the future of the Lakers, it allowed us to see Dallas Luka again, but also to see his evolution and his growth,” he said. “I really love what the Lakers are doing, shoutout to JJ and the coaching staff. It’s really good to see the adjustments they are willing to make in year two.”

Wade already proven right by the GOAT

James has an opportunity to come back and really prove that he's one of the top players in the NBA still. The Lakers will have to hope that the efforts on both sides of the basketball can continue to stay at the level they have. 

James is only getting older and is set to turn 41 years old in December. Still, he’s widely regarded as one of the better players in the league.

He played well in his first game, a contest that resulted in a win for the Lakers against the Utah Jazz.

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