The Los Angeles Lakers looked all over the place during the second half of Sunday night’s 112-100 loss to the New York Knicks. Although errors have become the norm, a defensive mistake by Lakers superstar LeBron James demanded particular attention.
LeBron James has been scrutinized for his poor defensive effort over the past few seasons. While this could be attributed to his age for the most part, the results on the team’s performance have been evident.
On one play during Sunday night’s game, Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns blew past Deandre Ayton and went down the middle in an attempt to score at the rim. Instead of getting in front and standing his ground, James took a risk and attempted to strip the Knicks’ big man, whiffing in the process.
This led to a mismatch for Ayton, who was still tracking Towns. With OG Anunoby free in the dunker’s spot, a simple drop-off from Towns resulted in an easy bucket, leading to Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt glaring at James in disbelief.
Jared Vanderbilt calls out LeBron James for playing no defense 👀
(h/t @SMHighlights1)pic.twitter.com/oED7SRHQ1M
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) February 2, 2026
LeBron James seemingly abandoned his mark (Anunoby) to cut off Towns. While there is merit in trying to steal the ball, communicating the play with either Rui Hachimura or Vanderbilt may have salvaged the situation. Instead, Rui Hachimura was caught in a two-on-one situation, forcing him to commit to the man on the perimeter instead.
Although Vanderbilt didn’t explicitly say anything to James, he ensured that the superstar knew of his mistake. In this regard, James’ reaction was also telling.
Needless to say, the Lakers’ defensive woes continue, as they post a defensive rating of 117.1 (25th in the NBA). Still, Vanderbilt wasn’t the only one who was frustrated with James’ defensive effort as NBA fans on X also took to calling out the Lakers’ superstar.
“That’s been LeBron the past five years. He played SELECTIVE defense,” said one user.
“Bron is so checked out. Can’t lie, this s**t is funny,” added another.
“Good! I’m a big Bron fan, too. Someone on the team needs to hold him accountable.”
“Folks are getting tired of this,” noted one fan.
“LeContract is over.”
“My king’s old. He wasn’t close to stealing that.”
“Been a trend all season,” added one user.
“LeBron’s signature move.”
“People are going to say he’s 40, but we need to stop with the excuses.”
“What a great All-Star. Definitely deserving of it,” commented one fan, sarcastically.
LeBron James’ defensive lapses were costly, to say the least. Another instance in the third quarter saw James slow down in transition defense, leaving the Lakers one man short on the Knicks’ fast break. Although the team disrupted the play, the poor effort doesn’t bode well.
LeBron doesn’t get back on D AT ALL…
Just waiting to receive an outlet pass for easy points 😭 pic.twitter.com/dB8M2y7rEU
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) February 2, 2026
Many fans called LeBron James out, especially in light of his record-extending 22nd All-Star nod, hinting at him not being deserving of the selection. While this may be considered harsh, given what the team needs from him daily to remain in the playoff picture, it may be justified.
With a 29-19 record, the Lakers are barely hanging on to sixth place in the Western Conference standings. Currently tied with the Phoenix Suns (7th in the West), the Lakers will need to string together some wins to create some distance, which seems highly unlikely without any reinforcements.
Having missed out on players like De’Andre Hunter and Keon Ellis, the Lakers can now only hope that Austin Reaves returns as soon as possible to help carry some of the offensive burden.
