What was once a loving relationship between the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James has turned colder in recent months. The Lakers haven’t offered James, 40, a contract extension, meaning he’s not tied to LA past the current season. Rumors have surfaced that LeBron and his team are miffed about the lack of extension, and Bron’s weird demeanor on the Lakers’ bench hasn’t done much to put those rumors to bed.

The Lakers have obviously moved onto the Luka Dončić era. Everyone knows it, including LeBron. The Lakers don’t need LeBron to sell tickets anymore. It also appears — nine games into the 2025-26 NBA season — that they don’t need LeBron to win games, either. Luka, Austin Reaves, and others have powered LA to a 7-2 start.

With the LeBron-less Lakers looking entertaining, competitive,

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