The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the best teams to open the 2025-26 season despite missing LeBron James.
James was forced to miss the start of the season due to a sciatica issue, but the Lakers star finally made his way back to the court during the team’s home game against the Utah Jazz. LeBron turned in strong practices with the South Bay Lakers and the parent team in the past week, allowing him to finally suit up for a historic 23rd NBA season.
The Lakers fell behind early, but another second-half comeback allowed them to pick up a solid 140-126 win against the Jazz.
Rust was to be expected given James did not participate in training camp and preseason and it showed up in the first couple of quarters as he seemed to be trying to find a rhythm. LeBron’s first contribution came on an assist to Deandre Ayton and he later scored his first points on a 3-pointer from the left wing.
By the start of the second half, James looked more like himself as he whipped the basketball around to open teammates. Utah had been in control for most of the evening, but the 40-year-old helped break the game open in favor of Los Angeles with his brilliant playmaking and passing.
It was about as successful of a season debut as James could have hoped for as he recorded a double-double of 11 points and 12 assists in just 30 minutes.
While James did his damage as a passer, Luka Doncic was the primary scoring option on the night. Doncic took his fair share of lumps, but he got his lick back offensively against a Utah team that tried to play him physically.
Doncic couldn’t find the range in the first half, but he finally saw a few 3-pointers go down in the third quarter that kickstarted Los Angeles’ comeback effort. The Jazz had almost no choice but to foul Doncic on certain possessions and he made them pay by hitting 13 of his 16 attempts.
Doncic led all scorers with 37 points to go along with 10 assists, five rebounds and four steals.
Deandre Ayton has been a steady presence all season and with James back he had even more easy opportunities at the rim. Ayton recorded another double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds while Austin Reaves contributed 22 points of his own.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers will get several days of rest before their rematch against the Jazz on the road on Sunday. They’ll then see the L.A. Clippers back at home on Tuesday in their next Emirates NBA Cup group play game.
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