Despite the Los Angeles Lakers rostering an arguably top-three player in the NBA — Luka Doncic — one ex-NBA player-turned-analyst doesn’t like the Lakers’ chances of claiming a championship without LeBron James.
ESPN’s Kenny Smith told TMZ Sports as much when the media outlet caught up with the Inside the NBA host at LAX late last week.
“This is a competitive team, but not a championship team yet,” Smith told TMZ Sports. “LeBron James makes them a championship team.”
James announced on June 30 that he would not be returning to L.A. for a ninth season and would continue his playing career elsewhere. L.A had interest in bringing back the league’s all-time leading scorer prior to James opting for free agency and a change of scenery.
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“He’s one the greatest, if not the greatest basketball player ever,” Smith added when referencing James. “Definitely number two at the lowest.”
James is coming off a season in which he was named an All-Star for the 22nd time in his career. At 41 years old, he continued filling up the stat sheet, posting averages of 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds. It’s easy to see why Kenny Smith doesn’t envision the Lakers being contenders upon losing King James.
Smith’s certainly not alone in those thoughts. Polymarket doesn’t like the Lakers’ chances either. Bettors on the site are wagering at just a 2% chance that the LeBron-less Lakers will hoist the Larry O’Brien championship following the ’25-26 season. Another pair of Western Conference teams, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, are seeing the most Polymarket action to win it all. OKC is trading at 25% and the Spurs, who lost this season’s NBA Finals to the New York Knicks, have the second most confidence amongst bettors, coming in at 19%.
The Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, two rumored destinations to land James’ services, are both wagering at 4%. James spent 11 seasons with the Cavaliers, albeit over two separate stints, and four seasons with the Heat. He most recently finished his eighth season in L.A. and has won at least one title in each NBA city he’s called home.
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