After Marcus Smart recently admitted he hadn’t yet heard from LeBron James since joining the Lakers, fans were quick to speculate about the silence. Was it a sign of disconnect? A leadership gap? Or something else entirely? According to a Lakers source who spoke to Hoops Wire, there’s a much simpler explanation. With LeBron currently on vacation and enjoying his offseason, the delay in contact is being framed as a non-issue. The message from inside the organization is clear: there’s no drama—just downtime.
“He’s on vacation,” the source told Hoops Wire. “Calm down. LeBron is allowed to enjoy his summer. He doesn’t have to be about us (the Lakers) and basketball all the time. He’ll connect with Marcus when he’s back.”
This has been a critical summer for both James and the Lakers. For the Lakers, it’s been about building for the future and keeping their star duo together amid rising tensions. Now that they have Luka Doncic, the whole situation has changed, and they are trying their best to do right by him.
Besides signing Deandre Ayton, they boosted the roster with additions like Jake LaRavia and Adou Thiero. In the backcourt, they have Marcus Smart to help strengthen the defensive line, and we know he’s excited to get to work.
Meanwhile, for James, his future has never been more in doubt as he enters the final year of his deal. As questions loom surrounding his loyalty, health, and retirement plans, he’s been going through his typical offseason routine, which currently involves a vacation with his wife, Savannah.
While LeBron may be behind on team business, it’s worth remembering that his leadership style has evolved over the years. He’s never been one to rush chemistry-building during the offseason. Instead, he often waits until training camp or preseason to lay the groundwork in person. That might feel unusual to fans, especially with a fiery veteran like Smart now on board, but it’s consistent with how LeBron has handled new teammates in the past. In Miami, Cleveland, and even early in L.A., he often took a similar low-key approach, letting the season speak louder than summer texts.
So when Marcus Smart revealed that LeBron James hasn’t reached out yet, it wasn’t reason to panic and hardly a cause for alarm. In the Lakers’ view, it’s just LeBron enjoying his time off, which he has every right to do. At 40 years old, and with 22 seasons under his belt, LeBron has earned the chance to enjoy his summer, and the Lakers will not be getting in the way of that.
Whether intentional or not, LeBron’s silence has become part of the Lakers’ offseason narrative. But inside the building, the message is clear: he’ll engage when the time is right. The real question isn’t whether he talks to Smart this week—it’s how locked in he’ll be when the season tips off. Until then, vacation or not, LeBron’s presence still looms over everything the Lakers do.
