LeBron James has seen a lot of basketball in his life. He knows what it takes to win it all in the NBA. So far in the 2025-26 season, he’s not convinced that his Los Angeles Lakers are on par with a championship-caliber squad like the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Lakers saw their three-game winning streak get snapped on Monday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif., as the reigning NBA champions Thunder executed better down the stretch to come away with a 119-100 victory over James and company.
The 41-year-old James did not mince his words when asked about how the Lakers compare to Oklahoma City.
“You want me to compare us to them? That’s a championship team right there. We’re not,” the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player told reporters after the game.
“We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes, and they can. That’s why they won a championship.”
Perhaps it was a subtle way for the future Basketball Hall of Famer to challenge his team, as the season goes deeper and the NBA Playoffs get nearer.
The Lakers hosted the Thunder without superstar Luka Doncic due to a hamstring injury, but that can’t excuse their loss. For one, Oklahoma City played without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander because of an abdominal issue.
Against the Thunder, James tallied 22 points on 9-for-17 shooting to go with 10 assists for the Lakers, who have a short turnaround before hosting the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.
