Lakers rumors: Insider couldn’t help but notice bad LeBron James ‘vibes’ during Warriors game

The Los Angeles Lakers began their 2025–26 season with a 119–109 loss to the Golden State Warriors, but the bigger story wasn’t the defeat; it was LeBron James’ demeanor on the sidelines. For the first time in his 23-year career, the 40-year-old superstar missed an opening-night game, sitting out due to a sciatic back injury.

During the contest, cameras repeatedly showed James sitting quietly on the bench, rarely clapping, cheering, or communicating with teammates, even as Luka Doncic erupted for 43 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists.

Lakers insider Jovan Buha addressed the matter on his “Buha’s Block” podcast, saying:

“Yeah, I mean I don’t wanna play armchair psychologist here, so I’m — I wanna refrain from too much speculation. But the vibes with that situation have not been the best, I’ll say. So, again, I don’t really wanna go too much down that road, but yeah, I mean, I thought there were times just looking at the huddle or looking at the bench that he wasn’t as engaged as he typically is when he’s out.

“You just never know when someone is having a bad day or something’s going — whatever. You don’t wanna project onto people what you think they are feeling or acting like. But just in the observations I made of the body language, was not great, and I do think it was a bit different than what it has been in the past in this same situation of him being out.”

James’ detachment comes amid a major transition within the organization. The Lakers are now clearly shifting their offensive identity around Luka Doncic, who was acquired in the blockbuster deal that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas. Doncic started his first full season in Los Angeles with a dominant performance. However, the rest of the team failed to provide adequate support. Austin Reaves chipped in late, yet no other Laker scored more than 10 points. Deandre Ayton, acquired in the offseason, managed just 10 points on seven shot attempts while committing four turnovers.

During the preseason, media members observed limited interaction between James and Doncic on the bench, a contrast to LeBron’s previous camaraderie with Davis. However, at media day, he presented himself as relaxed and engaged, unfazed by speculation that the organization was shifting its priorities toward Doncic.

It may have been nothing more than irritation from not playing, still, the energy he gave off didn’t go unnoticed in Los Angeles.

The 4x NBA Champion’s agent, Rich Paul, made a cryptic statement in June suggesting that both he and LeBron were evaluating the “best situation” for a championship run. Around the same time, reports surfaced that the Lakers neither offered nor discussed an extension with James, who ultimately exercised his $51.4 million player option for the 2025–26 season.

James’ injury timeline remains uncertain, though he is likely to miss 11 to 14 games, possibly returning in mid-to-late November. The Lakers will face Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves next on Friday.