The opening night left the Los Angeles Lakers with a series of questions. Precisely, and loudly enough, with a “what if?” about  LeBron James’ presence on the court on Tuesday.  LA kicked off the 2025-26 NBA season with a 109-119 loss against the Golden State Warriors. While Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry dominated with a combined 54-point game, Bron sat courtside. Not a single smile on his face, and not even a clap. Was this the sadness of missing his first-ever opening night in 23 years? Or did this unprecedented behavior narrate a different story?

Bron sat with sciatica, and fans noticed that his unavailability wasn’t the only matter of concern for the Lakers. Because you see, the 40-year-old looked aloof. He looked disconnected for the entire night. At least that’s what an Instagram user, bballtalkerz’s video claimed. James seemingly didn’t engage with his teammates or the coach. He didn’t even seem to celebrate whatever was going on on-court, precisely when Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves scored.

Meanwhile, X user @damanr observed: “I’m not a body language doctor by profession, and this is just one man’s observation: LeBron was disconnected all night, not interacting with the team, coaches, or what was taking place on the court all game. Don’t kill the messenger, just reporting what I saw.”

They also added, “I’ve been going to games for years, I noted an observation (that I stand by) for something that stood out. It could be anything, I didn’t speculate on any reason – it is just different than other times I’ve seen him on bench. I’m tripling down on it, I know what I saw.”

And another X user shared the clip when Doncuc scored in the paint and Bron sat without clapping or cheering. Now, if you remember, Kobe Bryant had this habit of not smiling or reacting when he sat courtside. Therefore, many fans who swooped in to defend LeBron James also said that when Kobe did it, it was Mamba Mentality! Needless to say, the 40-year-old superstar has once again stirred up the NBA pots without even being present on the court.

Meanwhile, the Lakers guard Austin Reaves cleared his heart out about James. Despite the loss, AR shone with a 26-point night, which surely sparked some hope in JJ Redick’s heart. But moving forward, he has a lot more to do for the team than just playing 2.

Austin Reaves speaks his true feelings about LeBron James

Austin Reaves turned the Crypto.com Arena into his own stage, erupting for 26 points on 9 of 16 shooting, 1 of 5 from deep, and 7 of 10 at the line. He filled the stat sheet with five boards, nine dimes, and two steals in 36 minutes against the Warriors. With LeBron James out, he’s carrying the load, while the Lakers scramble to fix the little things before another shakeup hits.

“I think when the goal is to win, roles and situations change. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to do what you think is best to help the team win. And I feel like that’s what we did tonight. We came up short, but obviously, when you’re missing a guy like Bron, you’re not going to fill that with one person,” AR told the media in the locker room after the game. “You have to try to fill that. I need to do something a little better, Luka needs to do something a little better, Rui’s got to pitch in a little more”.

Reaves also added, “But like I said, you can’t do what he does with one person. If I was LeBron James, I probably would have retired by now. But yeah, he’s one of the greatest players to ever touch a basketball. So you have to do it as a collective group”. This wasn’t a jab at LeBron’s age or his future in the league, even with his contract nearing its end. Austin Reaves was simply applauding his endurance, admitting he couldn’t have kept going this long himself.

LeBron James didn’t need to play to steal the night. His silence spoke louder than a roar, his stillness stirred a storm. As questions linger and theories swirl, Austin Reaves stands tall, wearing both belief and burden. The Lakers may wobble without their pillar, but the story is far from over. Because when the King watches, the kingdom listens and waits for his next move.