The Los Angeles Lakers began the season facing a conundrum: their best players needed the ball to thrive. But after LeBron James returned from a hip contusion earlier this month, the Lakers looked like they figured things out, going on a nine-game winning run before finally dropping a game to the Detroit Pistons last Monday night.
Luka Doncic has been on an absolute tear during this stretch, averaging 40 points per game during their winning streak and still scoring 33 despite his shooting woes against the Pistons the last time out. But more than Doncic balling out of his mind, it's been LeBron's play that has caught everyone's attention, even top Lakers critic Charles Barkley .
"LeBron is probably the best third wheel in NBA history," said Barkley on Jim Rome's show. "And LeBron is such a great player, he can do it all. He can finish….because he's not going to have the ball."
"The ball should be in Luka's and Austin's hands cuz they're the best two players on the team at this stage. But LeBron's such a great player, he can fit in and just finish. It's a great situation for him. There's nobody in the NBA that's got a better third player," he added.
Ever since he began his career in 2003, LeBron has been the No. 1 player on his teams. That changed midway last season when the Lakers traded for Doncic. Relegated to the Robin role, LBJ still managed to have a good year by everyone's standards, although not by his.
This season, with Austin Reaves off to a scorching start in a contract year, many said that James should step aside and play third fiddle to the Luka-AR duo. At first, no one believed that would happen.
It took a lot for LeBron to accept being No.2 to Luka. Now he has to fall behind AR as well. But over his last 10 games, James is still averaging 18.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, despite a significantly reduced usage rate. In these 10 March games, the Lakers are 8-2, including Monday's loss to Detroit.
LeBron talked about his new role when he was asked after the Pistons' loss about going scoreless in the first half for the first time since 2010 and only the third time in his 23-year NBA career.
"It's the role that I'm playing for the ballclub. In order for us to win ball games, it's the role that I'm playing. And that's just how the game was going," said Bron.
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Despite James making the big sacrifice and the adjustment working wonders for the Lakers right now, Barkley still does not believe they have a shot at winning the 2026 NBA championship because at least 3 elite teams are headed to the playoffs with them and they can't beat any of them in a seven-game series.
"I don't think they can win the championship. I don't think they can beat OKC, I don't think they can beat Denver, and I don't think they can beat the Spurs. I think the Rockets and Minnesota would be an interesting series. But they're playing great," added Barkley
At least Barkley is being consistent with his take about the Lakers not winning the championship this year.
From dynasties to modern superteams, the teams that figured out how to maximize that third piece were often the ones lifting the trophy. That's what makes Bron's shift so intriguing — because if he truly settled into that role at this level, the Lakers may be closer to contention than critics want to admit.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
