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"He’s not worried" - Dwyane Wade reveals LeBron James’ surprising attitude amid Lakers’ struggles
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- "He’s not worried" - Dwyane Wade reveals LeBron James’ surprising attitude amid Lakers’ struggles
Heading into the season, there were already some opinions that LeBron James wasn't thrilled with the fact that the front office had not consulted him much during the offseason when shaping the roster, with the focus increasingly shifted toward Luka Doncic .
Although their on-court chemistry was immediately evident in the time they spent together, quickly silencing doubts that two players with such similar playing-styles couldn't coexist, postgame interviews from both sides showed clear and massive mutual respect.
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However, even though the Los Angeles Lakers are winning games and currently sit fourth in the Western Conference, despite dealing with numerous injuries this season, the general impression is that they have overachieved.
JJ Redick is aware of that as well, having recently called out the Lakers' effort following a Christmas Day blowout loss. Still, LBJ's former teammate Dwyane Wade doesn't believe the four-time NBA champion is particularly concerned.
" LeBron on his golf simulator right now, he's not worried about this ," Wade said on the "NBA on Prime" show.
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No-trade clause is becoming a burden for Pelinka
Many believe the team is defensively vulnerable because, as great as Doncic is offensively alongside James, the Lakers simply don't have the right pieces to fully maximize everything the Slovenian superstar brings to the floor.
While it's understandable that LeBron, at 40 years old, is in decline, his no-trade clause makes it nearly impossible for Rob Pelinka to solve this puzzle. It's clear the Lakers badly need another rim protector and rim-running center, as well as a 3-and-D forward, but the reality is they don't have much to offer in return.
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On top of that, Austin Reaves has gone down with an injury and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. Luka had developed excellent chemistry with Reaves, and many believe that duo should be the foundation of the Lakers moving forward. From this perspective, however, that seems almost impossible with LeBron still on the roster.
This is not to say that Bron is holding the team back with his play, as his production is still at a high level; however, the league has simply moved in a direction where "Big 3's" no longer guarantee success the way they once did. From that standpoint, the ideal scenario would be to trade the four-time MVP for multiple role players, which, as mentioned, is impossible due to his clause.
All of this led Rashad McCants to refuse to give LeBron James a pass for not playing defense despite being 40 years old .
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"I don't give a f—k how old he is. You're on the f—ing court, you're supposed to be playing f—king defense. JJ Redick can't have a conversation with LeBron first? Why now? You're LeBron James ! As a coach, you go from the top… listen, it's always gonna be LeBron's team," McCants said . "If it's Gregg Popovich, he's holding Tim Duncan accountable, so he can hold everyone else accountable. In the same way, you gotta meet LeBron and say, 'I need you to set the example of stepping it up on the defensive end, so everybody else can.'"
The Lakers are struggling defensively with LBJ on the court
The numbers back up some of that criticism. With LeBron on the floor, the Lakers have a defensive rating of 121.8 points allowed per 100 possessions. Without him, that number improves to 117.4. Overall, the Lakers currently rank 26th in the league in defensive rating, and it's somewhat astonishing that, despite being fourth in the West, they have a net rating of -0.6, according to NBA.com .
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Their seventh-ranked offense has compensated so far, and it's worth reiterating that injuries have played a significant role, along with the fact that LeBron needed time to find his rhythm after suffering a back injury. Still, it's hard to ignore the reality that it's difficult to see this Purple and Gold squad making a significant leap, something that could ultimately cost Luka an MVP-level season.
It's becoming increasingly clear that James may have become too heavy a burden for the Lakers, and if Wade's words are to be believed, it's not something James is losing any sleep over.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
