On Sunday, the NBA All-Star Game begins at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, with Lakers star LeBron James taking part in the festivities. James was recently made ineligible for the All-NBA team this year due to his absence from the lineup this season, but he will still be in uniform for fans during All-Star weekend.
It's been an up-and-down season so far for the Lakers, and recently, James has been 100% honest on his team's title chances entering the extension of the campaign.
According to Brett Siegel, formerly of ClutchPoints, on Twitter, James said, "Our success will depend on our health."
Health has actually been a major question mark for the Lakers at times this season, as James missed the early portion of the campaign, and Austin Reaves was recently sidelined for nearly a month in the midst of his breakout campaign.
Lakers star Luka Doncic has also been out of the lineup for the past few games, although he will be able to participate in Sunday's All-Star Game.
Even when fully healthy, many pundits are skeptical of the Lakers' ability to compete for a championship, given the lack of two-way players on the roster. While Los Angeles has the offensive firepower to compete with anyone, there aren't many above-average defenders on the roster, a problem that was fully exposed by the Minnesota Timberwolves during last year's playoffs.
Still, as James said, staying healthy will greatly help this Lakers team maximize its chances in April, and so far, that has been a big challenge for the team in 2025-26.
In any case, the All-Star Game is scheduled to begin on Sunday at 5:00 PM ET. Meanwhile, the Lakers will next be at home against the Clippers on Friday.
