'Absolutely Wrong,' LeBron James Calls Out Critics Who Say Lakers Are 'Better Off' Without Him

With the Los Angeles Lakers success with LeBron James off the court this season, some have questioned whether the team is better off without the veteran.

While James agreed that stars Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves play well of one another, he also called out those who say the team fares better when he's not playing.

"I was out a couple weeks ago and I was able to come back and see how I fit best with those guys because they were playing so dynamic off one another," James told reporters. "But I mean, it sells papers a lot easier and clippings and podcasts if you say their team is better off without LeBron. That's how a lot of people try to view it, so I get it. They're absolutely wrong."

James missed the first few weeks of the season due to sciatica in his right side, and the Lakers managed to start 10-4 without him, which is when the narrative of Los Angeles playing better without him began. A recent stretch saw the Lakers win three in a row without James, sparking the question once again.

But even though James is far from his prime, he's finding plenty of ways to stay productive. He's putting up 21.4 points, 6.8 assists and 5.6 boards per game this year.

In Thursday's win over the Miami Heat, he had 19 points, 15 boards and 10 assists, helping Dončić go for 60 points on 18-of-30 from the field. On Wednesday, James posted 30 points on 13-of-14 shooting.

Lakers-Heat Highlights

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There have been plenty of times this season where fans have the right to question head coach JJ Redick's decisions with the lineup, but it's hard to argue with anything he's doing right now. Los Angeles has won 11 of its last 12 games to move into third place in the West at 45-25.

The Lakers are getting hot at the right time with the playoffs just around the corner, and wins like Thursday are proof that James, Dončić and Reaves can mesh well together.

The question is whether that trio can stay hot and guide Los Angeles through a tough Western Conference en route to a title.