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LeBron James’ Lakers leadership evident ahead of playoff opener

April 17, 2026

EL SEGUNDO — LeBron James walked into the half circle of reporters at the Lakers’ training facility on Thursday afternoon, clearing his throat before speaking.

“Excuse my voice,” said James, 41 years old and heading into his sixth postseason as a member of the Lakers. When asked if he was under the weather or just hoarse from raising his voice during the preparations for Saturday’s playoff opener against the Houston Rockets, James implied he was sick.

Feeling 100%, or not, the playoffs don’t wait; they just might require a lozenge. Just two days remain before James suits up again for playoff basketball at Crypto.com Arena.

Last year, given the same week off as the Play-In Tournament determines the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference, the Lakers suffered a lopsided 117-95 home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of their first-round series. Twenty-three years into his NBA career, James has been on the postseason path so many times before that he knows there’s no point in dwelling on the past. He said the Lakers’ focus is on the task ahead, Houston and a meeting with longtime postseason rival Kevin Durant, whom James lost to in the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals while a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Different circumstances, different year,” James said. “We haven’t even talked about last year. There’s no reason to talk about last year. What’s done is done. We’re preparing for Saturday. I think we’ve had some really good days.”

James was already a clear leader on the Lakers. Now, over the past two weeks, he is once again the clear leader when it comes to production on the court. The loss of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to injuries that cost them the final stretch of the regular season and have them out “indefinitely,” thrust James back into the limelight. Forward Rui Hachimura said Wednesday that the reason the Lakers are the fourth seed, and avoided starting the first round on the road against the Rockets, comes down to James’ leadership and production since April 4.

James won the final Western Conference Player of the Week award of the season, lifting the Lakers on his back en route to a three-game-winning streak to conclude the regular season.

“Every year, I’ve seen we have the team, different coaches and whatever teammates,” Hachimura said. “How LeBron’s been, especially this year, has been really different. I think he respects the team, the coaches, the players. He understands the roles on this team. And he’s been great.

“He’s very vocal. of course, being leader and one of our leaders. … It’s big time for him.”

On Thursday, when asked about James’ message for the team about Houston’s rebounding prowess, ranking first in total rebounds (48.1) and offensive rebounds (14.9), he responded that there wasn’t a need for a message. For James, it’s about action.

“It’s the best rebounding team in the last 25 years,” James said, shrugging his shoulders up and down for emphasis. “You don’t need to have a message. It’s like going against a (Patrick) Mahomes team and they’re the best passing team in the last 30 years. The message, don’t need (to say), ‘hey, we don’t need to let the receivers get off the line, we need to jam.’”

James continued: “What’s the message? The message is get your ass in there, box out and rebound. We know the message. We’re all grown men. Do your job.”

Lakers coach JJ Redick said James had done a “great job” in terms of leading the group, having averaged 23 points, 9.2 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game over the final six games of the regular season without Doncic and Reaves.

Redick said earlier this week that he couldn’t complain that the Lakers have extra off days considering James’ age compared to the rest of the playoff field. The Lakers have two off days in between each of their first three games in the first round.

“He’s 41,” Redick said. “So yeah, any extra time off is good.”

Twenty years younger, and heading toward playoff rotation minutes for the first time in his career, Bronny James is soaking up the knowledge from his father.

He mentioned Thursday that since LeBron James has appeared in the postseason 18 times, there’s a need to listen to what the four-time NBA Finals MVP has to share.

“He’s won series, won Finals,” Bronny James said, adding that he’s also gone to veteran guard Marcus Smart for advice as a fellow undersized guard. “I think we just need to have our mind open and ears open and listen to whatever he says because he knows the most.”

For LeBron James, he called how his son has put himself in a position to be called off the bench in the playoffs, “remarkable” and added that Bronny James will be ready when his number is called upon.

“Every moment we get an opportunity to play together is something that I never take for granted,” LeBron James said. “Listen, me being on the floor with him, postseason, regular season, training camp, practices, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career above everything that I’ve accomplished.”

Orange County Register

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LeBron James’ Lakers leadership evident ahead of playoff opener

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