LeBron James in ‘deep end’ of unknown role in Los Angeles, says Brian Windhorst

As it is The Los Angeles Lakers (15–5) begin a demanding three-game East Coast road trip Thursday vs. Toronto Raptors (15–7), ESPN Brian Windhorst he said LeBron James entered the “depth” of an unknown role at age 23 – one shaped by injuries, roster changes and the rapid rise of Austin Reeves.

Windhorst discussed James’ new reality on The Dan Patrick Show, noting how things have changed drastically for the 40-year-old forward.

“Luka happens then he has injuries. So these are two things we’ve never seen. We’ve never seen him not be a 1A guy on his team. We’ve never seen him have injuries in the offseason before. Then his team, without him, plays really, really well. Absolutely never happened.”

He emphasized that even one of these elements would be unprecedented for James, but the combination put him in territory he had never navigated.

“We’re in completely uncharted territory for him … And along the way, he returns to the team as the number one scorer in league history, where two guys on his team are top 10 scorers.”

Windhorst added:

“I think he’s absolutely in a little bit of a deep end of the pool that he’s never been in before. I mean how long has he been in a situation that he’s not only not seen, but mastered? So this is awkward and he’s showing his age.”

LeBron James is adjusting to an unfamiliar role as the Lakers open their East Coast road trip

James has moved into a more tertiary role behind Luka Doncic and the surging Austin Reaves, who is averaging a career-high 28.1 points per game while emerging as one of the league’s most dynamic perimeter scorers.

After a delayed season debut due to a sciatic injury, James averaged 15.2 points and 7.2 assists and four rebounds while shooting 46 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three in 32.2 minutes through five appearances. His adaptation was evident in Monday’s 125–108 loss to the Phoenix Sunswhere he finished with 10 points and three assists on 3-for-10 shooting, snapping the Lakers’ seven-game winning streak.

The trip offers James more opportunities to find a rhythm and comfort in JJ Redick’s offense. After the Toronto game, Los Angeles will face the Boston Celtics (12-9) and the Philadelphia 76ers (11-9) before returning home next Wednesday to their NBA Cup quarterfinal match against the San Antonio Spurs (15-6).

The Lakers will be without Doncic on Thursday, as he is out while welcoming his second daughter. His absence places an increased offensive burden on James while highlighting the challenge of his evolving role — one that Windhorst believes represents the most unknown chapter of James’ storied career.