Without question, LeBron James is one of the best basketball players in NBA history. While discussing whether James is the greatest player to step on a basketball court may be fun, and, admittedly, it is, if one is honest, he or she has to admit that determining qualitatively or quantitatively whether he or any other player is the GOAT is impossible, given it's a subjective proposition.
Similarly, no one has an accurate answer about whether LeBron will ever make another NBA Playoff run. To define critical terms, playoff run, or NBA Playoff run, means not only making the playoffs but also advancing past the first round and possessing a legitimate chance to compete for an NBA championship. Unlike subjective GOAT debates, which often involve James, one can employ available data to conduct a data-informed analysis of the likelihood of him being a part of a team, including the Lakers, especially with the current roster, that can legitimately compete for an NBA championship.
On December 30, 2025, King James will celebrate his 41st birthday. Therefore, his age and attendant realities of aging must be serious factors considered in any competent analysis of the likelihood of this history-making superstar experiencing success leading to an authentic opportunity to win enough games in the playoffs to be a genuine contender again. As he has aged, his body has become more susceptible to injuries, and those injuries, which are well-documented, as the previous reference reveals, may never heal or take significantly longer to heal than youth afforded.
While some professional athletes in multiple sports, including the NBA, have had post-season or championship success at LeBron's age and beyond, such success is indisputably abnormal. However, James has defied the odds, including those related to his body, throughout his basketball career.
Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided’s daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend! If you don’t like The Whiteboard, share it with an enemy!
Will LeBron James make another playoff run?
Father Time inevitably forces every professional athlete to retire, and he diminishes a person's athletic prowess gradually, given that one's body does not permit him or her to continue to meet the exacting physical demands the respective sport necessitates. As previously evidenced, King James has a concerning injury history that considerably narrows the window of opportunity he has to make another playoff run.
Aging and injuries have caused LeBron to decline somewhat, which, considering he is 40, is understandable. Although we like to regard such phenomenal athletes as James as "beasts," they, including the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, is no beast in reality. Time has a way of showing us all we are no beasts. Aches, pains, and injuries are real, as the superstar knows well.
Since the 2021-2022 season, LeBron's points per game have fallen slowly each season, with this season being his second-lowest, 24.4, since his rookie season, 20.9. Also, he has had his third-lowest minutes per game, 34.9. James has had his lowest free throw attempts per game, 4.7. These numbers (and others) reveal a decline in his performance, which can be naturally linked to age and health.
One staple of LeBron's game that has made him such a force to contend with is his ability to overpower most players to drive to the basket and get fouled. To protect his body, he now drives much less to the basket and relies much more on jump shots, rendering his physical strength as much less a weapon against opposing defenders. Given these statistics, it is clear James is not playing the best basketball of his career.
However, he is still averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. Such production still positions him as one of the elite current NBA players, and it indicates he is ready for another playoff run.
Lakers not ready for a playoff run
The emphasis is on he is ready and not his team, at least not with its present roster. Although the Luka Dončić trade was the subject of much national media coverage, the Los Angeles Lakers lack the supporting cast around Dončić and James necessary to be competitive in the playoffs. While the tandem may be good enough to propel them into the playoffs, as they made the playoffs this season, the first round is as far as they will go without making necessary changes to the roster.
While the tandem has decent pieces surrounding it, those pieces are inadequate for competing in the gauntlet that is the Western Conference. While Luka provides excellent play on offense, he still refuses to play defense, making him a defensive liability. Many in Lakers Nation may not want to hear it, but the team needs an additional star to make a genuine playoff run. If Los Angeles had someone like Bobby Portis, it would have a greater chance to compete for an NBA Championship.
With the window of opportunity for King James increasingly narrowing, the Lakers must make critical moves to strengthen the roster to compete for an NBA championship. If the right critical moves are not made as soon as possible, James will retire without another playoff run and, of course, without another NBA championship ring on his finger.
Although many who love LeBron will argue that he can be competitive in the playoffs with Luka, this series against the Minnesota Timberwolves has exposed how tenuous that argument is, especially considering the Timberwolves have a 3-1 series lead. Matias Grez, a CNN sports journalist, contended that Anthony Edwards "was able to physically and mentally outperform" James and Dončić. When a player is "able to physically and mentally outperform" LeBron, one knows the end is near for him. However, the Lakers need to assemble a team that affords him an opportunity to win his final NBA championship, permitting him to retire in a style fitting for a king.