The Lakers' season didn't end the way they wanted, but LeBron took some positives away from year 23.
LeBron James' 5th playoff appearance with the Los Angeles Lakers has officially come to an end, and after a season in which the team was plagued with injuries at the end, James feels there are some positives to take away from it.
The 2025-2026 Lakers were the third team in LeBron's tenure to make it past the first round after a 4-2 series victory over the Houston Rockets.
Lakers' Injuries
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) hops to the side of the court during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center.For much of the season, the Lakers were led by Luka Doncic, who was one of the leading candidates for the MVP award, finishing the season averaging 33.5 points per game, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists. Things went downhill for the Lakers once Doncic injured his hamstring on April 2, 2026. It caused him to miss the rest of the regular season and playoffs.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) is defended by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) in the first half of game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com ArenaIn that same game, Lakers guard Austin Reaves also went down with an injury. Reaves injured his oblique and didn't return for the Lakers until game 5 of the first round against Houston.
Before these injuries occurred, the Lakers maintained a 16-2 record between February 28th and April 1st and had momentum heading into the playoffs. It was a season in which Lebron was able to take a step back from getting a big workload, but come playoff time, the focus was back on him to be the leader of this team, as he was once again called upon to be the first option of the roster.
How LeBron Fared With Undermanned Squad
LeBron James had a tall task in front of him after his two scoring leaders went down. In their absence, James led the Lakers to a 3-1 series lead over the Rockets until Austin Reaves came back. Throughout the first round, James averaged 23.2 points per game, 8.3 assists, and 7.2 rebounds.
James also played 70 total games in the 2025-2026 season, including the playoffs in his 23rd season in the NBA. He mentioned to the media how it was nice to be a third option at one point in the season, but acknowledged the challenges of having to assume that second and third option role once again as the injuries piled up.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after a foul in game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena.What's Next For LeBron?
There are rumblings of LeBron James potentially leaving the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason as he is an unrestricted free agent, and after recent reports of discomfort between James and the front office, that could come true.
As for James, he has not made a definitive decision on whether or not he would like to continue playing for a 24th season just yet.