The insider couldn’t help but notice LeBron James’ bad ‘vibes’ during the Warriors game

The The Los Angeles Lakers have begun the 2025–26 season with a 119–109 loss to the Golden State Warriors, but the bigger story wasn’t the loss; it was keeping LeBron James on the sidelines. For the first time in his 23-year career, the 40-year-old superstar missed the opening night game, sitting out with a sciatica injury.

During the contest, cameras repeatedly showed James sitting quietly on the bench, rarely clapping, cheering or interacting with teammates, even as Luka Doncic erupted for 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.

Lakers insider Jovan Buha addressed that issue on his “Bukha’s Block” podcast, saying:

“Yeah, I mean, I don’t want to play armchair psychologist here, so – I want to refrain from speculating too much. But the vibes with that situation weren’t the best, I will say. So, again, I don’t want to go down that road too much, but yeah, I mean, I thought there were times when I would just look at him like he’s usually when he’s out.

“You never know when someone’s having a bad day or something’s going on — whatever. You don’t want to project onto people what you think they’re feeling or acting like. But just in the observations I made of the body language, it wasn’t great, and I think it was a little different than what it’s been in the past in this same situation when he was out there.”

James’ departure comes amid a major transition within the organization. The Lakers are now apparently changing their offensive identity around Luka Doncic, who was acquired in the blockbuster deal that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas. Doncic began his first full season in Los Angeles with a dominant performance. However, the rest of the team failed to provide adequate support. Austin Reaves scored late, but no other Laker scored more than 10 points. Deandre Ayton, acquired in the offseason, scored just 10 points on seven field goal attempts with four turnovers.

During the preseason, members of the media noted limited interaction between James and Doncic on the bench, a contrast to LeBron’s previous camaraderie with Davis. However, at the media day, he presented himself as relaxed and engaged, regardless of the speculation that the organization is shifting its priorities to Dončić.

It may have been nothing more than irritation at not playing, but the energy he gave off didn’t go unnoticed in Los Angeles.

The 4k NBA champion’s agent, Rich Paul, made a cryptic statement in June suggesting that both he and LeBron were evaluating the “best case scenario” for a championship run. Around the same time, reports surfaced that the Lakers did not offer or discuss an extension with James, who ultimately exercised his $51.4 million player option for the 2025–26 season.

James’ injury timeline remains uncertain, though he’ll likely miss 11 to 14 games, likely returning in mid-to-late November. The Lakers will face Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.