Amid the Los Angeles Lakers' strong start to the 2025-26 season, a portion of the Lakers fanbase believed that they can finally move on from LeBron James now that Luka Doncic is the number one option on this roster. But that was folly; James remains a brilliant player who can shapeshift depending on his team's needs. On Tuesday, with Doncic firing on all cylinders, James took a bit of a backseat in his first game back from injury, finishing with just 11 points but contributing a game-high 12 assists in a 140-125 win over the Utah Jazz.
James missed the first 14 games of the Lakers' season with sciatica, a nerve issue in the back, and he's already 40 years of age, so it's going to take some time for him to round into form. Nonetheless, Doncic, who finished with 37 points, five rebounds, and 10 assists in the winning effort, gave his superstar teammate his much-deserved flowers for being a seamless fit in the Lakers lineup.
“It's great. It's been a long time since he played basketball, so I think for a first game, he looked amazing. He's gonna keep getting in a rhythm and he's gonna help us a lot,” Doncic told Spectrum SportsNet's Mike Trudell in his postgame interview.
"For a first game, he looked amazing… He's gonna help us a lot."
Luka Doncic on LeBron James' return to action 🗣️
(via @SpectrumSN)pic.twitter.com/a7IBcmdMTC
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 19, 2025
James played 30 minutes but did lack a bit of burst in some of his drives. This is understandable, as he's older than ever and his conditioning is not yet in peak form. But the Lakers, a team that was already a force to be reckoned with to start the new campaign, are about to get better with the return of the arguable greatest of all-time.
LeBron James defers to teammates in Lakers' victory over Jazz
James did finish sixth in MVP voting last year and made All-NBA Second Team. That's how brilliant he remains even though he's in the twilight of his career. And now, he can take a backseat without the team suffering, as he now has Doncic and Austin Reaves to carry the Lakers offense, freeing him up to do more of the little things to help them succeed.
On Tuesday, it was his playmaking that helped the Lakers the most. He dropped 12 dimes, including six in the fourth quarter alone, and it's his unselfishness and basketball IQ that will be taking this squad to an even greater level.
