LeBron James' favorite new target isn't Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves

Joseph Kallan

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LeBron James' favorite new target isn't Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves image

Kirby Lee | 2025 Nov 18

The Los Angeles Lakers finally got their wish in Tuesday night’s 140-126 win against the Utah Jazz when LeBron James made his highly anticipated season debut.

James officially entered season 23, making him the only player in NBA history to accomplish such a milestone.

James capped off his night in a more unique way than fans are used to seeing, dropping 11 points and 12 assists across 30 minutes of action. Despite some in the Lakers community worrying that his return would hinder the offense — especially given the recent scoring explosions from Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves — LeBron continued to silence the haters in what turned out to be a more-than-eventful night.

For those wondering who LeBron’s main target was throughout his 12 assists, the answer isn’t who you’d think. Reaves, Jackson Hayes and Gabe Vincent were only responsible for one assist each, while Vincent notched two. Jake LaRavia managed to come in second with three, leaving Deandre Ayton atop the list, as he was on the receiving end of four of James’ dimes.

James connected with Ayton on several plays inside the paint, delivering shovel passes to the cutting big man for electrifying dunks. The Lakers’ offseason goal wasn’t just to surround Dončić with a lob-threat finisher — they wanted to give LeBron one, too.

Ayton joked postgame about being James’ number one target, once again giving fans a reminder of LeBron’s incredible longevity.

“I was telling him a fun fact: He threw me an alley-oop and I told him, that’s my second alley-oop from you. The first one was when I was in the eighth grade at your camp.”

It’s clear as day that LeBron’s return to the starting lineup was never going to interfere with the Lakers’ plans for success. Dončić still managed to record 10 assists on his own, while Reaves poured in 26 points. James’ scoring may have taken a step back, but he still found ways to be impactful without putting up big numbers.

James would also joke with reporters postgame when someone mentioned he played against seven different players who weren’t even born when he debuted.

“That just made my back hurt. I got a few days before we play again, so I'll be okay.”

Needless to say, the King has been around for quite some time — and he looks determined to make this season another good one in Los Angeles.

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