Salley, a solid big man during his time in the NBA, said critics who have said that James must "fit in, not fit out" added that the latter is no mere accessory in the Lakers' machine, but rather the glue that holds everything together.

How on Earth did a statement that began with the words "LeBron wants..." create so many questions about what LeBron wants? We've never really gotten clarity. James went dark for most of the summer. His media day quotes were pretty benign.

The Los Angeles Lakers announced Thursday that superstar forward LeBron James has been cleared for contact amid his recovery from sciatica.

With LeBron James nearing a return from injury, John Wall believes the league may not have any answers to stop the Lakers.

The Lakers issued a positive update Thursday on James' status, noting he is cleared for basketball activities and will begin ramping up to 5-on-5 work. The Lakers will re-evaluate James in 1-2 weeks to see how his body is responding to getting back on the court.

The Los Angeles Lakers have started the 2025-26 season red-hot, winning six-of-eight and thriving on the historic play of Luka Dončić, who is averaging 41.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game.

This start has led Jeff Teague to believe that these two young guards are the combo that will lead the team to success in the present and the future. More controversially, Teague also believes that the return of LeBron James will only spoil the team camaraderie, which, at the moment, looks destined to settle for nothing less than a championship.