The start of the 2025-26 season is right around the corner and to get fans prepared for the upcoming year the Los Angeles Lakers will hold their annual Lakers Media Day on Monday, Sept. 29 at 11 a.m. PT.
President of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick held a press conference in advance of Lakers Media Day, offering insight into the offseason and what the expectations are for the regular season.
The main storyline will be Luka Doncic and how he performs in his first full season in Los Angeles. Doncic amazed the basketball world with his body transformation this summer and he looked like the dominant superstar he’s become known to be during his run with Slovenia in EuroBasket 2025.
Doncic is considered the early favorite for MVP and for good reason as he has every reason to prove to the world that he belongs in the conversation for best player today. A healthy and motivated Doncic could be exactly what the Lakers need to get over the hump, and it begins with his first Media Day with the team.
Another big subplot is LeBron James who will be playing a league-record 23rd season. James opted into his player option for the 2025-26 season after he and the Lakers didn’t agree on a contract extension, creating serious credence to the idea that this could be his final year playing for the purple and gold.
Los Angeles is being touted as a serious playoff contender after upgrading the roster via free agency, with Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart expected to step in and play major roles in their first year with the organization. There is also excitement over the addition of Jake LaRavia who has the youth and upside to develop into an even better all-around player.
The immediate questions that need answering are what does Redick’s starting lineup look like as well as who deserves to be in the rotation. Role players like Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent should be in the mix, but it’ll be interesting to see if players like Dalton Knecht and Maxi Kleber can earn minutes. There’s also Bronny James who showed out in Las Vegas Summer League, though it might be at least one more year for him developing in the G League.
Where to watch 2025-26 Season Media Day press conference
The Lakers’ 2025-26 season Media Day will be broadcasted live on the Lakers’ YouTube page as well as Spectrum SportsNet at 11 a.m. PT on Monday.
The Lakers Nation YouTube page will have live coverage as well.
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