When the 2025-26 season tips-off for the Los Angeles Lakers, they will be without LeBron James for the time being as he is sidelined for the next three to four weeks due to a sciatica issue. But when James does take the court, it will be for an unprecedented 23rd year in the NBA. No other player has ever played that long in the league. And as the season draws near, famed stat website Basketball Reference had some intriguing stat projections for the Lakers star.
Basketball Reference predicted that LeBron James will average 24.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and knocking down at least 2.1 three-point attempts per game. It’s important to note that these projections are per 36 minutes, meaning this is what Basketball Reference would expect James to average this season if he plays at least 36 minutes.
This past season, James played just about 35 minutes per game, a trend that goes back to the 2022-23 season. 2021-22 was the last time he played at least 36 minutes per game. He also knocked down 2.1 attempts from three-point range, a trend that goes back to the 2018-19 season. Projecting James’ 2025-26 season is a hot topic as of late, especially considering he’s shown no signs of a potential drop in play.
James will turn 41 just a couple of months into the regular season. He is seeking his 22nd consecutive All-Star appearance. The only season of his career when he was not named to the All-Star team was his rookie year in 2003-04.
This past season, James appeared in 70 games for the Lakers at a little over 34 minutes per game. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.0 steals with splits of 51.3 percent shooting from the field, 37.6 percent shooting from the three-point line and 78.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
During the Lakers’ opening round playoff elimination by the Minnesota Timberwolves, James averaged 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocked shots with splits of 48.9 percent shooting from the field, 35.7 percent shooting from the three-point line and 77.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
