LeBron James has played every imaginable role in his 23 seasons. He’s been a franchise cornerstone, closer, facilitator, and everything in between. But heading into the postseason with the Los Angeles Lakers, the conversation has shifted to something entirely new: Can the greatest player of his generation embrace life as the third option?
According to Colin Cowherd, he most definitely should. He’s got no choice!
Colin Cowherd Believes LeBron James Must Accept a Supporting Role
The Lakers have been one of the NBA’s hottest teams in March, going on an 11-1 run that has them entrenched as the third seed in the Western Conference. They’re just ahead of the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Houston Rockets. Cowherd, speaking on “The Herd,” bluntly framed LeBron’s current situation.
“LeBron wants to stay in Los Angeles, and he wants to be a Laker. LeBron deserves a lot of credit here because LeBron has changed this game. He’s not the same player. He’s still great, individually, in spurts. But he’s not gonna give you 40 minutes a night. Not as good back-to-back. He’s just aging,” Cowherd said.
He then drew on one of LeBron’s own public moments to drive the point home. “I remember years ago, LeBron sent a tweet out to Kevin Love: ‘Stop trying to find a way to fit out. Just fit in. Be a part of something special. Just my thoughts.’ Well, that’s what LeBron James has to do. He’s never ever been asked to be a supporting actor. Now, it’s like, bro, we look at all the numbers. They’re all career lows. LeBron’s the third option.”
The “fit out” reference dates back to LeBron’s second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, when the tweet was widely understood as a message directed at Kevin Love, who had publicly spoken about trying to find his footing within the team’s structure. The fact that Cowherd is now turning that same philosophy back on LeBron only goes to show just how dramatically his standing within a team hierarchy has shifted.
LeBron’s usage rate, which sat at 29.1% in 2023-24, dropped to 21.3% by late March 2026. It’s a significant decline that reflects his diminished role as the primary offensive engine.
Early in the season, upon returning from a sciatica injury that cost him the preseason and opening month, he scoffed at any suggestion that he could not mesh with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, saying, “I can fit in with anybody. I don’t even understand why that was even a question.”
James, Dončić, and Reaves Are Still Building Chemistry Ahead of the Playoffs
Despite the individual buy-in from LeBron, the trio as a collective unit has remained a work in progress throughout the season. As of early March 2026, in 17 games together, Dončić, James, and Reaves held an 11-6 record, but the on-court numbers told a more complicated story.
In 297 shared minutes at that point, the Lakers had posted a +1.5 net rating, with an offensive rating of 115.3 per 100 possessions with all three on the floor.
Coach JJ Redick acknowledged the challenge as far back as early March. “I think the bigger challenge is when they’re all on the court together,” he said, “because they all want the basketball, and the reality is in some cases, people have to sacrifice.”
Dončić, for his part, expressed measured optimism around the same time. “We obviously won three in a row. We playing together since All-Star break, everybody. Obviously, the chemistry is going to keep building, every day, every game we play.”
The playoff gauntlet will present a far sterner test than anything the Big Three have faced together in the regular season. Sacramento Kings coach Doug Christie, after facing the trio in early March, offered a warning for what lies ahead, noting that the game slows down and becomes more physical in the playoffs.
With LeBron willing to defer and Dončić and Reaves operating at elite levels, the pieces are in place. Whether James can fully commit to a role he has never been asked to play before may ultimately determine how far this Lakers team goes.
