Lakers are dead in water, but there’s silver lining: LeBron James

There’s a silver lining to the Lakers’ hellish turn of events.

LeBron James has been unleashed.

The King has been let out of his so-called cage. He has gone from being the team’s third option to the head of the snake. We’re getting to see what the 41-year-old is actually capable of doing at this stage in his career.

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And it’s stunning to witness.

Things around the Lakers’ locker room are depressing. They have an emotional hangover from losing Luka Doncic (strained hamstring) and Austin Reaves (strained oblique) last week to injuries. Some of the guys on the court need name tags to be recognized. The team’s hopes of a deep playoff run are dead in the water.

The King has been let out of his so-called cage. He has gone from being the team’s third option to the head of the snake. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But the Lakers are still a must-watch show.

And it’s because of James. What he’s doing is unprecedented. He’s redefining what’s possible.

On Friday, he helped the Lakers clinch homecourt advantage as either the third or fourth seed in the first round of the playoffs with a 101-73 win over the Suns.

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James, who played on the second night of a back-to-back, finished with 28 points (10-for-16 shooting from the field, 2-for-2 from beyond the arc), 12 assists and six rebounds.

The night before?

He had 26 points on 11-for-17 shooting, 11 assists and eight rebounds in the Lakers’ 119-103 win over the Warriors.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the absurdity of that.

James is the only player in NBA history to play in his 23rd season. Last month, pundits were proclaiming the Lakers were better without him. Byron Scott said in February on a local radio show that James should leave the team after this season.

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The James slander was at an all-time high — and that’s really saying something.

James responded by becoming the team’s third option after he returned from a three-game absence at the top of March. He decided to plug in the holes behind Doncic and Reaves, who were shining together. Arguably the greatest player of all time embraced being a role…

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Publish date : 2026-04-11 15:42:00

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