LeBron James’ solid night on Monday against the OKC Thunder was enough to propel the Los Angeles Lakers to a win.
Despite James defying father time at 41, and propping up a 22-point, 10-assist double-double, the Purple and Gold went down 119-110 at the Crypto.com Arena.
LeBron James Makes Feelings Clear on Lakers’ Tough Loss Against the Thunder
Speaking to the media in the aftermath of the loss, James minced no words in criticism of the team’s performance against the defending champions.
“You want me to compare us to them?” James asked. “That’s a championship team right there. We’re not. We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes, and they can. That’s why they won a championship.”
James’ thoughts were in alignment with head coach JJ Redick’s view of the game. He noted the Lakers did not execute the plan in the final stretch. The second-year coach added that the team was not upto the mark of getting their veteran forward the ball in key situations.
LeBron James after the Lakers’ loss to the Thunder:
“You want me to compare us to them? That’s a championship team right there. We’re not. We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes and they can. That’s why they won a championship.”pic.twitter.com/nB5n8QBjUo
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) February 10, 2026
“I didn’t think we did a good job of getting LeBron the ball,” Redick rued. “Some of that was we called plays, and we didn’t execute, some of that was just not having the recognition.”
The four-time NBA champion’s words come as a harsh reality check to the Lakers as they struggle to consistently maintain their top five spot in the Western Conference. On the game front, James led with a team-high 22 points, which included a blitzkreig dunk over Thunder big, Chet Holmgren.
Marcus Smart chipped in with 19 points, while Austin Reaves came off the bench to pour 16 points and seven assists. The Lakers are without Luka Dončić as the superstar continues to recover from his hamstring injury. He is expected to be day-to-day as LA gears up to play the San Antonio Spurs on the second night of their back-to-back at home.
The loss sees the team snap its three-game winning streak, but remain fifth in the standings with a 32-20 record. As for James, the seasoned forward has shown no signs of slowing down in his 23rd season in the NBA.
In his 35 games for the Lakers this season, James averages 21.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.9 assists while shooting 50.2% from the field and 30.9% from the three-point line. Up next, James and the Lakers play the Spurs and the new-look Dallas Mavericks before the league breaks for the 2026 All-Star festivities.
It remains to be seen if James and the team can use the break to regroup and gather momentum as the regular season approaches the final stretch.
