LeBron James brings a lot of value to the Los Angeles Lakers, even when he isn’t playing. The 40-year-old superstar is currently nursing an injury, but he didn’t let that stop him from dishing out some advice. The Lakers veteran was caught on video shouting out instructions and coaching his teammates from the sidelines of the Crypto.com Arena during their 120-108 win against the Nuggets.
LeCoach 🗣️
LeBron coaching from the sidelines during Nuggets vs. Lakers. pic.twitter.com/kkgfqYl6a0
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 20, 2025
This video highlights James’ passion for the game and his drive to win, even when he isn’t on the court. The fact that he wasn’t fit to play but still focused on every moment of the game to try and give his team a chance to win shows just how hungry James is, even after all the success he has experienced in the NBA, to try and win on a nightly basis.
LeBron suffered a groin strain a few weeks ago during the Lakers’ visit to the T.D. Garden to play the Boston Celtics. He has been out of the rotation since then, as he has focused on recovering from this injury and returning to the Lakers’ lineup as soon as possible ahead of what could be a monumental playoff run for their team.
During this stretch, the Lakers have gone 3-4, showing how important James is to this team. However, their three-game winning streak is inspiring some confidence in fans that Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves can shoulder a majority of the team’s load on any given night.
James is set to return soon, as the Lakers look to secure the second seed in the West ahead of what could be a grueling playoff run for their team. Their priority is and should be, keeping James as healthy as possible before the playoffs begin, as his health will play a key role in their success in the postseason.
This is the first time in five years that the Lakers are expected to make the playoffs directly, rather than through the play-in tournament. The play-in tournament has forced the Lakers into some tough positions over the years, even though they did reach the Western Conference Finals two years ago from that spot.
However, the Lakers want to secure a high seed in the West. JJ Redick spoke about the team’s goal to earn home-court advantage for a good chunk of the playoffs and explained what they need to do to make sure they do just that. The first seed is pretty much out of the question, as the Oklahoma City Thunder have almost surely secured that spot for themselves.
However, the second seed is very much up for grabs. The Lakers leapfrogged over the Denver Nuggets to the third seed last night with their win, now boasting a 43-25 record. They have a chance to go 44-25 with a win over the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow. The only team ahead of them is the Houston Rockets, who sit second with a 45-25 record, which the Lakers will see as an attainable goal.
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