What happens when a king is told he’s no longer fit to rule the court? LeBron James is finding out the hard way after the Lakers’ Christmas Day collapse.

The Lakers are box office, and whenever they go through a tough phase, there are plenty of eyeballs on them. Similarly, this time, former CBA star and 2007 NBA Coach of the Year, Sam Mitchell, has dropped an absolute bombshell about LeBron James.

“This is what LeBron doesn’t understand, it hasn’t sunk in,” Mitchell said on SiriusXM following the Rockets’ defeat. “Whatever team you go to, you’re the 3rd option. You’re not going to a team when you’re the 1st option anymore. If you went to the Washington Wizards, you would still not be the number one option.”

Generally known for dominance, LeBron James has had a slow start to the 2025-26 season. He has also dealt with a sciatica issue along with other injuries, and overall, he has taken a backseat at the Lakers since Luka Doncic‘s arrival. Austin Reaves’ rise has also come at the right time for JJ Redick. So suddenly, the Akron Hammer is the third-best player for the Purple and Gold this season.

Still, the 40-year-old is averaging above 20 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 48.5% from the floor and is far from the Lakers’ primary problem for the current downfall.

Despite all the chatter around him, LeBron still brings the experience and the leadership that the Lakers need. Even though he is in his career twilight, he is the player who can bring a team together ahead of a crucial postseason game and JJ Redick wouldn’t want to lose such a character from his dressing room.

JJ Redick lashes out at LeBron James and company following the Rockets’ defeat

The Lakers started the campaign with a 15-4 record, and they were looking like contenders. However, since then, they have lost six out of the last 10 contests, mostly down to their lacklustre defense. In the recent losing streak, the players have not shown enough energy and hustle to stop their opposition, and therefore, JJ Redick expressed his frustration following the Christmas Day defeat.

“We don’t care enough right now. And that’s the part that bothers you a lot. We don’t care enough to do the necessary things. We don’t care enough to be a professional,” Redick said following his team’s defeat.

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Recently, Kendrick Perkins also questioned LeBron James‘ body language and felt it was not appropriate. He suggested that it might be time for the King to part ways with the Lakers.

However, trading LeBron won’t magically solve the Lakers’ problems, which start with cracks in their defense and roster construction. Redick has been a victim of his own creation as the Lakers’ roster lacks players who can overturn deficits. Defensively, they have been all over the place as they allowed the Rockets to shoot 53.3% from the field while getting outrebounded massively, 48-25. It allowed the Rockets to score 24 points on second chances.

Their fantastic start to the campaign is currently papering over the cracks, right now, as they have a solid 19-10 record and are fourth in the West. Redick, with his coaching staff and the players, including LeBron, need to get their act together and play like a team once again, which may help them get out of the muddle for now.