The Lakers would be lucky to re-sign LeBron James. 

Yes, he’s turning 42 next season. Yes, the Lakers’ focus needs to be building around Luka Doncic. And yes, there are some tricky politics at play.

But the bottom line is James is still damn good. 

He was the best player on the court in the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against the Rockets. In the second round, he had better stats than reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

Just let that sink in for a moment. 

This season, James proved he could be a star or a role player. He’s willing to carry the team or be its third option. He’s able to set aside his ego.

It’s weird that so many people are up in arms about the prospect of James returning to the Lakers. He’s about to be an unrestricted free agent. And after eight seasons with the purple and gold, they’d be lucky to have him for a ninth. 

When James came to the Lakers in 2018, they had fallen off the map, missing the playoffs six straight years. James resuscitated the franchise, recruiting Anthony Davis in 2019 and then carrying the team to its first championship in 10 years in 2020. 

Five years later, the Lakers rocked the basketball world by acquiring Doncic in a stunning trade in February 2025. While playing alongside James, Doncic went from being out of shape to entering training camp this season in arguably the best physical condition of his career. 

Do you think that was a coincidence?

James shows up to arenas 5 ½ hours before games and three hours before practices to do activation exercises and rehab drills. If arguably the greatest player of all time was doing that at age 41, you think the 27-year-old Doncic didn’t feel a bit of pressure to get his act together?

James’ influence on the Lakers extends far and wide. 

There are the obvious things he does to impact winning, such as the dunks, powerful drives and efficient jumpers. But there’s so much more happening behind the scenes. 

James is the ultimate professional. He’s a winner, having carried 10 teams to the Finals, winning four championships. His basketball IQ is unparalleled. 

He’s a finely tuned weapon who’s a freight train on the court and a wealth of knowledge off it. He’s an immeasurable asset. 

But you’re still not convinced?

Let’s play the stats game. 

When James embraced being the team’s third option in March, the Lakers went on a 15-2 run. Their offense was virtually unstoppable. Doncic was averaging 37.5 points a game. Austin Reaves was the second option. And James acted as the ultimate Swiss Army Knife, averaging 18.5 points on 56.2% shooting, 6.9 rebounds, seven assists and 1.3 steals. 

It’s unprecedented that a player of James’ caliber who could’ve been the first option on many teams was willing to take a backseat. It’s an unimaginable ask for an all-time great who still has his powers. 

But James was willing to do it. 

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Then after Doncic and Reaves suffered injuries April 2, James was asked to step back into the leading role. He seamlessly shapeshifted with the ease of turning on a faucet. 

No one thought the Lakers had a chance in their first-round series against the Rockets without their two leading scorers, who averaged a combined 60 points a game. James led LA to a 3-0 series lead. 

In Game 1, he looked like Magic Johnson, finishing with a game-high 13 assists to go along with 19 points and eight rebounds. In Game 2, he led all scorers with 28 points. In Game 3, he made a game-tying 3-pointer with 13.6 seconds left that sent the contest into overtime, finishing with 29 points and 13 rebounds. 

In the Lakers’ second-round series against the Thunder, James outplayed Gilgeous-Alexander, who is likely going to win his second straight MVP Award this month. 

James averaged 23 points on 52% shooting, four rebounds and 6.7 assists, while Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 21 points on 46% shooting, 2.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists.

What James is doing is incredible. We all know that. So why all the hate?

Silly me. That’s practically a rhetorical question. The act of criticizing James has become a competitive sport in and of itself since he entered the league at age 18. 

Two decades later, he’s not as fast and he can’t jump as high. But he can compensate for those deficiencies with one of the greatest basketball minds the sport has seen and one of its most in-shape physiques. 

The Lakers should bend over backward to convince James to rejoin the team. If he doesn’t retire, he’d have to take a significant salary cut wherever he plays. No team is going to pay him the $52.6 million he earned this season. 

But if James is willing to accept a big pay cut, the Lakers should pull all the stops to convince him to return. 

James is still great.

It wouldn’t be surprising if in 10 years, Doncic calls him one of the best teammates he ever had. Simply put, James is a winner. 

The Lakers would be lucky to have him on their roster next season.