LeBron Says 'Not Being an Idiot' Helped Him Play with Luka Doncic, Elevate Lakers Star Before Injury
LeBron James says helping Luka Dončić fit into the Los Angeles Lakers' lineup by giving up some of his ball-handling duties was as easy as "not being an idiot" following Dončić's trade from the Dallas Mavericks.
"I think it's simple. It's just not being an idiot," James said around the 22:20 mark of Tuesday's Mind the Game podcast with Steve Nash.
James said he started getting an idea of what his best role with Dončić and Austin Reaves would be when he was sitting out the beginning of the 2025-26 season due to sciatica.
"Watching the team play, and watching the team have some success, I'm sitting back and I'm like, AR and Luca look like they're just playing free," James said. "They look like, when LeBron is not playing, they don't have to feel like they have to cater to me, or make me feel a part of it, or have to get me the ball and it throws them out of rhythm.
"So, when I was making my way back... I went to both of them and I said, 'Listen. Don't worry about me on the floor. Whatever the f--k mindset y'all have been in while I was not playing, just stay there. Be aggressive. Y'all got the ball in y'all's hands. I will figure it out.'"
James said he also texted head coach JJ Redick and the Lakers' assistant coaches about what taking on what he described as a "Swiss Army knife" role rather than competing with Reaves and Dončić to be the Lakers' main scorer.
That has led to James taking on a 25.8 percent usage rate for the Lakers so far this season, well below his career rate of 31.3 percent.
"You have to put your ego to the side, put your pride to the side... I have the adaptability to be able to do other things on the floor, too, and still make an impact, so that helps," James said.
Whether the Lakers will get the chance to see that trio during the playoffs is up in the air now that both Dončić and Reaves have been sidelined for at least the regular season with hamstring and oblique muscle injuries, respectively. Redick has told reporters both players are still hoping to return for the postseason.
James will be tasked, at least for now, with resuming his former role as the Lakers' top ball-hander as his team looks to beat out the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 seed in the West over the final four games of the regular season, starting with a Tuesday night home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
