'Would Be Crazy,' LeBron Reveals His 'Ideal' Matchup for Lakers for 2026 NBA Finals in New Video

He and his teammates have a difficult road ahead to get there, but 22-time All-Star LeBron James is imagining another installment in the legendary playoff rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.

At the 21:20 mark in the newest episode of his Mind the Game podcast, James mapped out potential postseason paths for the Lakers. The episode was recorded before L.A. was locked into the No. 4 seed, but that didn't matter toward LeBron entertaining a Finals battle with the Celtics.

"That would be crazy. Oh my god," he said. "... I had a lot of Celtics series when I was in the East. They don't quite like me there."

The Lakers and Celtics have crossed paths 12 times in the Finals, most recently in 2010. For James, a head-to-head battle with Boston for a title would add to his legacy in purple and gold. Pretty much every big Lakers icon had at least one Finals with Boston.

Beating the Celtics would also be an incredible way for the 41-year-old to cap off his Hall of Fame career. He hasn't said for sure whether he's retiring, but it would be tough to resist the urge to leave on top.

Alas, the state of the Lakers' roster presents an obvious snag in this vision.

Guards Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are still unavailable, and it's unclear when they might be able to return to the lineup.

Los Angeles closed the season on a three-game winning streak, but head coach JJ Redick can only scheme so much around the fact he's missing two of his three best players. At this point, James can't carry a lackluster supporting cast like he did during his Cleveland Cavaliers runs, either.

The Lakers are underdogs in the first round despite being the higher seed, and they'd face longer odds against the Thunder if they manage to get past Houston.

Fans can all dream of an L.A./Boston Finals. It's unlikely to become a reality.