The 2025-26 season represents an unprecedented Year 23 for Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who remains one of the best players in the NBA.
James is the elder statesman of the league but has proven that he can still make an impact winning at the highest levels. The Lakers did well to address several of their needs in the offseason in an effort to meet James’ expectations of the roster, so now it’s up to head coach JJ Redick and the rest of the coaching staff to make all the pieces work.
While James spent the early part of the offseason rehabbing and enjoying his summer, he has been back in the gym working out and getting his mind and body ready for another regular season. LeBron is the gold standard for how an athlete should train and take care of his body and for good reason as he’s been able to stay so healthy and effective this many years.
The next generation of stars would do well to follow James’ example and it looks like Atlanta Hawks Jalen Johnson is making sure he soaks up whatever he can for the Lakers star as the two were recently seen working out together, via the Hawks’ official X account:
Iron sharpens iron ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/FxiNmwhog0
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) August 25, 2025
James and Johnson are both represented by Klutch Sports, so it’s easy to envision how the two were able to set up a workout during the offseason. It’s common to see players with the same representation working out together in the offseason, so this shouldn’t raise any alarms with Los Angeles and its fanbase.
Johnson is a rising star in the NBA that was making waves last season before he got hurt, so James makes for the perfect mentor. While not the same physical specimen LeBron is, Johnson is an athletic wing in his own right with the versatility and skillset that teams covet.
The King has made a few social media posts this summer that seem to suggest he’s still unhappy about the current situation with the Lakers, but there’s been nothing concrete about his displeasure. In fact, L.A. likely represents the best chance James has of winning another title because of Luka Doncic and the improved supporting cast.
LeBron James returning to China for Nike tour
LeBron James has been good about pushing the game of basketball forward for the next generation, and he recently announced that he will be returning to China for the 15th time as part of a tour with Nike in September.
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