LeBron James is closing in on his first appearance of the 2025-26 season, and to help speed up his return, the Los Angeles Lakers sent him to their G League affiliate while he continued his recovery from a back injury.
Even though James didn’t suit up for the South Bay Lakers, he joined them in practice, and their coach admitted the moment felt surreal.
How Did the South Bay Lakers Respond to LeBron James’ Presence?
Yesterday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that James was quickly called back up to the Lakers after initially being assigned there.
LeBron James has been reassigned back to the Lakers from NBA G League South Bay and will be a full participant at Lakers practice on Monday, sources tell ESPN. James completed multiple days of practices and 5-on-5 sessions this week in the G League and his debut is nearing.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 16, 2025
That same day, South Bay Lakers head coach Zach Guthrie recalled what it was like to have someone like James around, even if it wouldn’t be for long.
“To have the greatest player of all time join your practice, first and foremost, what an opportunity for each and every one of us to be a part of it,” Guthrie told reporters, per Silver Screen & Roll’s Raj Chipalu. “To just be a small part of his journey, his 23rd season, getting him back to health and getting him back to playing where he should be playing with the Lakers is an unbelievable experience, and something unbelievable for me as I’m typing up my practice plan to type in LeBron James is pretty crazy.”
Guthrie concluded by adding how James provides a golden example for how to approach practice.
“For all of our guys, what an unbelievable experience,” Guthrie said. “I talked to (the players) about the two days of practice. I was like, ‘Look at this dude’s practice habits. Look at how he’s the first one in, how he approaches it, how his mind is completely locked in, completely dialed, and completely focused, his prep beforehand and after. How he takes care of his body is incredible, so there’s a lot to learn, a lot from our guys to take from that in addition to the wonderful experience that they have.”
Asked SB Head Coach Zach Guthrie what it was like having LeBron James at his G-League practice:
“To have the greatest player of all time, join your practice…What an opportunity for each and every one of us..something unbelievable for me as I’m typing up my practice plan to… pic.twitter.com/U9ha3NvL4C
— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) November 17, 2025
James’ brief presence offered a rare glimpse of one of the game’s all-time greats in an unconventional setting. For South Bay’s young roster, the opportunity to observe and learn from him firsthand could prove invaluable in their development moving forward.
