After the Lakers’ 129–101 win over the Warriors, LeBron James was asked about his recent three-point slump. Over the previous 10 games, he had shot just 19.5% from beyond the arc. Against Golden State, he responded by knocking down 4 of 6 from deep in a controlled 22-point, 9-assist performance.
His answer was simple and revealing.
“I’m comfortable with every shot I take. I could shoot 0.0% from three, and I’ll believe I’ll make the next one. I’ve been playing ball my whole life. I’m not much of a numbers guy, to be honest.”
That mindset has defined LeBron for two decades. Yet the numbers do tell a story this season.
He is shooting 31.1% from three, the third-worst mark of his career. He is attempting 4.6 threes per game and making 1.4. That decline stands out even more when compared to the previous two seasons. In 2024–25, he shot 37.6% on 5.7 attempts per game, making 2.1. The year before that, he connected on 41.0% from distance on 5.1 attempts, again averaging 2.1 makes per game. The regression has been sharp.
Team context matters. The Lakers rank 17th in the league in three-point percentage at 35.4%. They attempt 33.4 threes per game, 24th in the NBA, and make 11.8 per game, which ranks 23rd. This is not a high-volume, high-efficiency shooting team. When LeBron’s jumper dips, the spacing shrinks even further.
There is also a notable split tied to Luka Doncic’s arrival. Since Luka Doncic joined the roster last season, LeBron has shot 33.0% from three across 58 games. Before Luka arrived, he was shooting 39.2% over a 47-game stretch. The shift suggests role and rhythm adjustments. With another primary ball handler controlling possessions, LeBron’s catch-and-shoot rhythm has fluctuated.
Against Golden State, however, the shot looked clean. The Lakers shot 19 of 41 from three as a team, a blistering 46.3%. LeBron and Luka combined to hit 8 threes, stretching a Warriors defense that never recovered. The result was a wire-to-wire dismantling.
At 41, LeBron is averaging 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in 33.3 minutes per game, the lowest minutes average of his career. The efficiency from deep may not match last season, but his willingness to take the shot remains unchanged. That confidence is not statistical. It is experiential.
For most players, a prolonged slump changes shot selection. For LeBron, it does not. He has rebuilt his jumper multiple times across eras. Early in his career, defenses dared him to shoot. In Miami, he refined his mechanics. In Cleveland’s second stint, he extended his range. In Los Angeles, he evolved into a credible high-volume threat, especially in 2023 and 2024.
For a player whose career has been dissected through percentages and advanced metrics, that statement is less about denial and more about identity. LeBron has always trusted repetition over noise. And on nights like the Warriors game, when the jumper falls, and the Lakers look balanced, that belief feels justified.
