The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t had LeBron James as part of their active roster in the last three games, all wins for the franchise. Amid growing belief that the relationship between the Lakers and James is at an end, his absence and the Lakers’ success without him seem to come at a bad time.
However, there is no doubt that James is still motivated to contribute to the Lakers and the community of fans they rely on. He’s averaged 21.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in a record-breaking 23rd NBA season, and will likely find a way to fit around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves upon returning from injury.
In his absence from the court, James visited multiple fans at the UCLA Health Center. These were recovering patients who were clearly overjoyed to see James visit, as he handed out gifts. Many of the patients get overwhelmed with emotions after the visit. Moments like this reinforce the value sportsmen hold in society and how gestures like this can go a long way in endearing someone to their community of fans.
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Even with all the criticism that inevitably follows LeBron, he’s always willing to make a positive difference in the community. This is reflected through his initiatives like the LeBron James Family Foundation and the I PROMISE School, looking to uplift underprivileged kids into leading better lives.
As a pillar of the sport and one of its greatest representatives, it’s important for James to take time out of his day to make gestures like this. Although these moments are often painted as PR stunts, it can’t be argued that those interactions had a positive impact on the people involved.
The Lakers are 14-7 without James this season and 26-18 with him on the floor. These numbers can’t conclusively make one say that the Lakers are definitely better without LeBron, but their performances against top teams like the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves do show that the Lakers can be more competitive against higher-caliber teams when James is not on the court.
Many suspect it’s because of the negative impact James has on defense, with the Lakers having a 117.1 defensive rating with LeBron on the floor and 116.5 without him, a marginal swing. It’s hard to expect a 41-year-old in his 23rd NBA season to give elite defensive production, but that’s what the Lakers need from James, given Doncic and Reaves handle on the offense.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Lakers proceed when James returns from his injury. There’s no question that the Lakers should be a better team with a player of his skill and IQ on the court, but it’s a question of how they implement him into a system that can also thrive without him.
