If there’s anything the runup to the 2025-26 campaign has underscored for the Lakers yet again, it’s that time makes no exceptions. LeBron James, entering an unprecedented 23rd season in the National Basketball Association, is compelled to sit out the next three to four weeks due to sciatica. The development means he will miss opening night, the first of what was supposed to be another run at relevance for the purple and gold. At 40, the body’s margin for error is slim, and his latest setback is both a medical note and a quiet reckoning.
The Lakers were slated to build around James’ longevity, but now find themselves testing their own adaptability. Needless to say, their immediate task is survival; they face the initial stretch without a cog whose presence still defines every possession. Luka Doncic, their acknowledged top dog, insists he won’t force the issue, and that his role is to “do whatever it takes to win.” It’s the right line, of course, but the subtext is clear: The key to the city is his. Head coach JJ Redick’s rotations will likely shift as needed, with his system gliding between two versions of itself. The early returns will reveal whether they can make a smooth transition.
Sciatica is an unkind opponent. It doesn’t just hurt; it lingers, returning when least expected. The fragility casts a shadow over the Lakers’ hopes and, by extension, James’ career arc. At this stage, every comeback risks being the last, and each recovery begs the question of whether the next one will come at all. Meanwhile, his future is subject to speculation. He could play the season out and retire a Laker. He could return on a short deal. He could seek a late trade if things sour. He could walk away in free agency next summer. All the options are plausible and, therefore, shrouded in uncertainty.
Familiar territory? Perhaps, albeit with a difference: James is not so much defining the timeline as being subject to it. And the Lakers know it, too, even if it isn’t admitted aloud. Doncic, Austin Reaves, and the rest of the young core represent continuity. In contrast, the all-time great represents history. Which is why the narrative may well change should they stumble out of the gate. “How to win with LeBron” could easily become “How to cut cleanly and move on,” with the framing reflective of inevitability and not disloyalty.
Make no mistake. There is a silver lining to the twist of fate. James’ absence, while unwelcome, effectively brightens the horizon. The Lakers get to test themselves in real time even as he lets go of control. Whether he returns to lift them or simply to take a bow, the message remains: Even legends cannot outrun the clock. And, all things considered, the measure of his final act lies not in how long he lasts, but in how well he finishes — one more time, with the whole world watching.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
