On Sunday, the NBA All-Star game will get underway from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, with Lakers star LeBron James taking part in the festivities. James was recently made ineligible for the All-NBA team this year due to his absences from the lineup this season, but he will still be in uniform for the fans at All-Star weekend.
It's been an up and down season for the Lakers so far, and recently, James got 100% honest on his team's title chances as they enter the stretch run of the campaign.
“Our success is gonna come down to our health,” said James, per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints on X, formerly Twitter.
Health has indeed been a major question mark for the Lakers at times this season, as James missed the opening chunk of the campaign, and Austin Reaves was recently sidelined for around a month amid his breakout campaign.
Lakers star Luka Doncic has also been out of the lineup over the last few games, although he will be able to participate in Sunday's All-Star game.
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Even when fully healthy, many pundits are skeptical of the Lakers' ability to compete for a championship, considering the lack of two-way players on the roster. While Los Angeles has the offensive firepower to compete with anyone, there aren't many above average defenders on the roster, a problem that was thoroughly exposed by the Minnesota Timberwolves during last year's playoffs.
Still, as James noted, staying healthy will go a long way in allowing this Lakers team to maximize their prospects come April, and thus far, that has been a big challenge for the team in 2025-26.
In any case, the All-Star game is slated to get underway on Sunday at 5:00 pm ET. Meanwhile, the Lakers will next take the floor on Friday at home against the Clippers.
