Colin Cowherd believes LeBron James deserves significant credit for embracing a reduced role with the Los Angeles Lakers this season. According to Cowherd, the transition is something many all-time great players, including Michael Jordan, likely would not have accepted.
Speaking on The Herd, Cowherd explained that this season represents one of the most unusual situations of James’ 23-year career. For the first time, the longtime face of the NBA is no longer the primary offensive engine of his team.
“So Luka had 51 last night, and the Lakers beat the Bulls, but that wasn’t the story. And this is a real story, and it’s actually asking a lot of LeBron James. So we talked a lot before the season. I said this is going to be the strangest year in LeBron James’ life. Every offense, even last year with heavy Luka and Luka off an injury, LeBron needed the ball in his hands for the offense to be effective.”
“I said this year is going to be different. The difference between in-shape skinny Luka, still in his prime, and LeBron, the gap is going to be huge. And LeBron’s going to have to learn for the first time in his career to play off the ball all the time. Now he’s having a bad shooting year off the ball because, let’s be honest, his jump shot has always been streaky and inconsistent.”
“But what really happened this year that makes it even tougher for LeBron is that Austin Reaves has popped. And now LeBron should probably have the ball as a third offensive option on the Lakers. So to ask a guy that was the face of the NBA for 20 years, hey, we not only need you to be off the ball with Luka, but Austin Reaves as well, it is a big ask.”
“I don’t think Michael Jordan would have done that. I don’t think most all-time players are going to do that. And the fact that LeBron’s always been about winning, and he has, and I’ve defended him early when he used to not take the big shot like MJ or Kobe, and I’d say he’s a winning player. He makes the right basketball play.”
“So this is a big ask. And LeBron’s entire career was the opposite. He had to ask Dwyane Wade, you’re the two. He had to go to Chris Bosh, hey get out of the paint, go in the corner. He had to tell Kyrie Irving, bro I’m going to carry the ball, you have to play off-ball.”
“So everybody has sacrificed for LeBron and should have his entire career. Even Luka a little bit last year. But this LeBron is different. His usage rate, lowest of his career by a wide margin. His field goals taken per game, lowest of his career by a wide margin.”
“So this is what we talked about all preseason. This is going to be a weird year for LeBron. Face of the league is not only the second option, but net rating tells you the third option. He’s going to have to set screens. He’s going to have to rebound a little more. He’s going to have to do the dirty work.”
“And this year, when LeBron shoots more than 20 times, the Lakers are 0–3. When he shoots under 20 times, they’re 27–15. The numbers don’t lie, but I do think it’s a big ask. I don’t think MJ would have done it. I don’t think a lot of stars that can still play at LeBron’s level individually would do it.”
“But LeBron’s always been a winning player. I just think he deserves credit for committing to this kind of basketball when he could score 24 a night for half the teams in the league or more.”
That responsibility now belongs to Luka Doncic, who recently erupted for 51 points in a win over the Chicago Bulls. The game highlighted the shift in the Lakers’ offensive hierarchy, with Doncic leading the attack while Austin Reaves also emerging as a major ball handler and scorer.
Doncic currently holds the highest usage rate on the Lakers at 36.5%. James sits at 27.0%, while Reaves is close behind at 26.5%. The distribution reflects how the offense now flows primarily through the younger guards rather than the four-time MVP.
The numbers also show how dramatically James’ role has changed. He is averaging just 15.9 field goal attempts per game this season, the lowest mark of his entire career. Even during his rookie year in 2003, he attempted more shots. Statistically, James is still productive. The 41-year-old forward is averaging 21.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.0 assists while shooting 50.5% from the field. Yet the scoring average is his lowest since his first NBA season.
When James played with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, both stars modified their games to accommodate his playmaking style. Later, in Cleveland, Kyrie Irving frequently operated off the ball while James controlled the offense.
Now the situation has flipped. The Lakers’ offense runs primarily through Doncic, and James has become more of a facilitator, screener, and secondary playmaker. Cowherd noted that the results support the adjustment. When James takes fewer than 20 shots in a game, the Lakers have posted a strong record of 27-18. When he exceeds that number, their results have been far worse, as they sit 0-3 in those games.
And LeBron seems to have accepted that he needs to make that sacrifice in order for the Lakers to have a chance at succeeding.
For Cowherd, that statistic proves James deserves recognition for prioritizing team success over individual numbers. Whether the change ultimately leads to another championship remains to be seen. But according to Cowherd, James’ willingness to step back may be one of the most underrated aspects of his late career evolution.
