The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t just lose to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, they were blown out. What made it worse was the lineup, or lack thereof. Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves were all listed on the injury report and sat the game out.
That decision didn’t sit well with plenty of people, especially fans who paid steep prices expecting a clash between two Western Conference contenders. Many showed up hoping to see star power. Instead, they got a shorthanded roster and a lopsided result.
One devoted LeBron James and Luka Doncic fan, Mark Carroll, felt that disappointment more than most. Carroll and his partner, Australian fitness influencer Lauren Simpson, made the trip across the world hoping to watch James and Doncic live. What they ended up with were brief glimpses of both stars sitting on the bench in street clothes.
“Travelled across the world to finally watch LeBron James play for the Lakers in my 1st ever NBA game. Row 1 seats next to Lakers bench. And Lebron James 5 hours before is ruled out while I’m sitting in my hotel room in Hollywood… oh and there 2 other star players. I give up lol thank god we have Disneyland tomorrow… I hope haha.”
View this post on Instagram
The couple, who flew 14 hours and spent a total of $32,000 just to be there. That breaks down to $12,000 on tickets and another $20,000 on flights. Despite the stars being sidelined, they still attended the game at Crypto.com Arena and tried to make the most of it.
“Lakers vs Spurs – Row A) seats on the Lakers bench 🔥Insane seats… to watch my favourite player of the last 15 years… sit on the bench 🤣 It’s ok LeBron James… I forgive you.”
“And luckily my favourite player the last year Wemby for the Spurs put 40 on the Lakers in 2.5 quarters 🤯 All in all… was a cool experience.”
“I was utterly downright sad when I saw LeBron James was out… but @laurensimpson forced me out and as usual It was well worth it after getting over the initial deep frustration. Was a rough day mentally… but it was a great night in the end thanks to Victor Wembanyama being the freak that he is in his element.”
View this post on Instagram
Carroll and Simpson, who have a combined Instagram following of over two million, weren’t done yet. Their next stop? Courtside seats for the Chicago Bulls versus the New York Knicks. Hopefully, the stars actually suit up for that one.
“Next game… we have court side tickets for Chicago Bulls vs New York Knicks. Cause if you gonna do it… and come this way… may as well go all out and have a story to tell Sailor one day.”
It wasn’t just a tough night for Australian fans hoping to see LeBron James take the floor against the San Antonio Spurs. A bigger story unfolded quietly in the background for his fans.
Another long-running LeBron James streak came to an end. The 41-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star missed his 18th game of the 2025-26 season on Tuesday, which makes him ineligible for league awards and All-NBA recognition. That absence officially ends a run few players could ever dream of matching.
James had earned All-NBA honors in 21 straight seasons. To put that in perspective, this will be the first year since 2004 that an All-NBA team is announced without his name on it.
