The Los Angeles Lakers had their chances against the New York Knicks, but couldn’t get the job done when it mattered the most, ultimately falling short, 100-112, on Sunday night. Although Luka Doncic did everything to keep his team within striking distance, the Purple & Gold were defensively inconsistent, especially LeBron James, who defied his head coach’s orders during the game.

Not too long ago, second-year head coach JJ Redick demanded more defensive effort from his star players, such as LeBron James and Luka Doncic. “It was good. We talked about a lot – not just that. But he was right. You’ve got to get a little bit more, especially from the star players. So that’s on us, that’s on me,” Luka Doncic told reporter Dave McMenamin following his meeting with Redick.

It seems like that meeting was in vain after all, the Akron Hammer was nowhere to be found when his team needed him on defense, defying Redick’s instructions. During the third quarter of Sunday’s loss against New York, James was spotted standing on the other end of the floor waiting for an outlet, despite his team being outnumbered by the Knicks players on the defensive end.

Meanwhile, during a separate play, the 41-year-old veteran, instead of standing his ground after Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns blew past Deandre Ayton, attempted to strip the big man, whiffing in the process.

This led to a mismatch for Ayton, who was still tracking KAT, with OG Anunoby free under the rim. A simple drop-off from Towns resulted in an easy bucket for New York.

As a result of this, LeBron James’ teammate and Lakers big man, Jarred Vanderbilt, was left in disbelief, as he later called out the superstar for his slack on the defensive end of the floor. Nonetheless, this isn’t the first time the four-time NBA champion has been scrutinized for his defensive effort. This has been going on for the past few seasons.

JJ Redick has publicly expressed frustration with his team’s defensive execution and players failing to follow his schemes. He bluntly assessed the roster’s defensive buy-in: “No” when asked if the Lakers had enough natural defenders willing to give full effort. Redick stressed personal accountability, saying it “comes down to making the right choice” rather than taking shortcuts on effort or rotations.

Lakers’ defensive stats have shown no meaningful improvement following JJ Redick’s public criticisms in late December 2025, and they remain among the league’s worst through early February 2026, sitting 25th in defensive rating at 117.1.

LeBron’s defensive impact in the 2025–26 season appears to be waning, as evidenced by his defensive rating of around 117–118 points allowed per 100 possessions while on the floor—well below league average and in line with the Lakers’ bottom-10 team defense.

This trend is further supported by the team’s overall defensive rating of approximately 119.5 with him on the court, which confirms that lineups featuring LeBron are allowing significantly more points than a top-10 defensive unit.

Given his age and evolving role, it’s clear that LeBron is now more selective in his defensive assignments—prioritizing matchups against elite wings and late-clock situations—while functioning primarily as an off-ball helper who reads the floor effectively but no longer provides consistent coverage for weaker defenders.

As a result, if the Lakers aim to achieve a top-10 defensive ranking with this iteration of LeBron, they’ll need to supplement his contributions with strong point-of-attack defenders and a reliable backline deterrent.

Relying on him as the primary defensive engine is no longer viable, as the data clearly shows a shift in his defensive effectiveness.

So, this is something Los Angeles’ management will have to look into as the season progresses. Nonetheless, while JJ Redick and Co. navigate that, following Sunday’s disappointing loss against the Knicks, LeBron James’ 32nd game at Madison Square Garden, he made an emotional confession regarding his future in the NBA.

LeBron James drops a massive hint regarding his future following Knicks’ loss

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is currently on a rollercoaster ride for his 23rd season in the NBA. So far, the 41-year-old has dealt with injuries, fatigue, and more. Evidently, the end might be near for King James, who made a tough admission on Sunday night.

After finishing yet another competitive matchup inside Madison Square Garden, which holds a special place in James’ heart, he revealed some details behind his uncertain future in the league.

“At the end of the day, everything has to come to an end at some point. So, no matter what it is, it’s going to be like, ‘I’ll never play again in Madison Square Garden. I’ll never play again in certain arenas. I’ll never play again, period,” LeBron James said.

The Akron native noted that, despite all he has achieved, the end for him in the NBA is near, and he’s trying to enjoy his final few seasons as much as he can.

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As things stand right now, the Lakers star’s contract will be up this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. So, there’s a chance we might not see James on the floor again, but most likely he’ll stay past this season.

Now, whether it’s with the Lakers or another NBA team, we’ll have to wait and see. But for now, James remains focused with the Purple & Gold, as he aims to land his fifth championship with the historic franchise, which has emerged as a top contender this season.