Waiting on life without LeBron

LeBron James will be revaluated in a week by his Lakers, determining when his sciatic nerve problems will allow him to play NBA basketball in 2025-26, his 23rd pro season. Not counting his semi-pro senior year of high school, 2002-03, when James was paid with a resoundingly cool Wes Unseld throwback jersey, and a somehow cooler Gale Sayers throwback jersey. Then, as now, commensurate value.

James is part of our lives, his career an epoch representing all the things you and I and everyone else has done since 2003.

My life? Pretty much the same shit since 2003. You, everyone else? LeBron James' career encompasses their entire adult life, the disparate moments, maybe they graduated in 2003, maybe they grabbed a doctorate, maybe 2003 was the year they finished most of Vice City and all of sixth grade. Maybe 2003 was the year of their first kiss, or last good job, or when the promotion hit and they bought The House, or when their novice-length life emptied from the inside because for the first time they didn't know what to think of their own government at war. Maybe someone died in 2003, maybe someone was born, maybe both. LeBron James has been around for as long as they've been gone, or they've been alive.

We're practicing for life without LeBron James, without realizing it. Most our NBA nostalgia is filled by the new television sets, Vince Carter and Udonis Haslem and Dirk Nowitzki laughing over the good times. The NBA is normal: East bad, West good, play fast, three-pointer. The Lakers are prominent, chatty, injury nicks molded into the core, business as usual.

And no LeBron, and nobody notices. Barely even Laker fans, otherwise occupied by Austin Reaves' monstrous season and/or Luka Dončić leaving it all out there in a loss in Atlanta in early November simply to spite his most recent employer.

James adds to this with no recent sourpuss press releases from his representation, only podcasts about pick and rolls with Steve Nash. Two steps back and two steps onward for our favorite cringeworthy millennial, annoying us with Rich Paul's offseason contract kvetching before threatening our fanhood by calling anything a "2.0," awful tag.

But when we see him in the next life – selling this, promoting that, listing 12 players after being asked to name is top five current players – we will miss him.

We will miss the idea that, on any random Thursday, we could click over to the Cleveland game or the Miami blowout or the Laker defeat and watch something expected but also unreal. Something we've seen before, but not like that.

We will become warm over the memory because it isn't limited to a single apartment, or haircut, or that winter's hoodie. The hoodie you keep in the closet even if it became unwearable due to all those holes, carry it from apartment to duplex to house, no reason to save it but for the fact that some of you will go the minute you toss that unusable remnant of a hoodie into the trash.

Thankfully, LeBron James doesn't merely represent Favorite Hoodie, 2008-through-2010. His is your whole life, or half of it, or the final and most frightening part. Many things kept LeBron James off the front page of the newspaper in 2003, 2004 and every year since. Some century we've had, LeBron James dribbled ahead of it.

With basketball! With sports! The things he's kept us from.

Life without LeBron James isn't strange at the moment. It wasn't startlingly strange when Kobe Bryant retired. The opening weeks of 1993-94 (Mike) and 1992-93 (Bird) and 1991-92 (Magic) felt like any other basketball season but for the Bulls, Celtic and Laker rankings.

The 1999 lockout season began without Michael Jordan on 2-5-99 and at no point on Feb. 5 1999 did I feel like my life had taken a distinct turn without MJ available for the opening slate, save for my drunken amble back to the dorms late that evening, addled by an ankle sprained earlier that week while playing basketball. Couldn't blame Michael Jordan for any of that.

The utter reach of James, unique. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar happily became a castmember in his final NBA decade, literally another big name in an ensemble movie. Yet James always stars, and everywhere. We couldn't remember what the word "ubiquitous" meant before LeBron James, now we do. James earned that billing, his nearly-nightly calls for attention. Because he showed up, nearly-nightly, for a lifetime.

And counting. The 7-3 Lakers will beat Charlotte on Monday and lose in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, win in New Orleans on Friday but lose 24 hours (and 900 miles) later in Milwaukee. Welcoming James back for the resultant home-and-home with the Utah Jazz on Nov. 18 and Nov. 23 appears pointless, the Jazz want to lose and there is no point in reaggravating anything. Then again, that space between games is tempting, James returning at home on Nov. 18 then declining the trip to Salt Lake City, restarting for good on Nov. 25 in Los Angeles against the Clippers.

The Lakers? Who couldn't use a LeBron?

James is old, he hurts the defense and his flights of passing fancy may not be in touch with his teammates, the Lakers already turn it over too much and aren't great defensively.

But LeBron. He's watched from the best seats, he sees where he can fit and what he cannot help with, he'll try to stay away from the latter. It was nice of James not to drool while watching his Lakers, picturing his way toward Scott Skiles' single-game assist record, two teammates averaging over 30 points per game plus a stretch forward who hits half his threes. Also, a scoring center LeBron probably thinks should have way more than 16 dunks in nine games.

The Lakers gave us a fun winter for LeBron, for us. DeAndre Ayton will have 16 dunks from LeBron alone in his his first seven games with James, Jake LaRavia was a good bet, Marcus Smart did his best to connect fingertips. Dalton Knecht? Well, some things you just can't collect.

ATLANTA

The Hawks showed out on Saturday, connected and collected, destroying the Luka-fed, Reaves-removed Lakers in Atlanta by 20, making Los Angeles look as if it played the night before when it hadn't, not for three nights. Speaking of lifetimes, one Friday night in Atlanta is its own time continuance, the clocks do not matter.

Laker indiscretions aside, the Hawks were down Jalen Johnson (bum quad) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (wrenched back). Each performed well the night before, Friday's home loss to Atlanta, the only two positive players in an otherwise ugly loss. NAW and JJ combined for 41 points on 28 shots, seven other Hawks managed an 18-68 mark from the floor, 4-27 from deep.

The Laker victory was the group's fifth contest without Trae Young, who suffered a right MCL sprain seven minutes into a game against the Nets on Oct. 29 and will be re-evaluated in late November. Three victories (Pacers, Magic, Lakers) without the franchise player, two losses (Toronto, in Cleveland).

Atlanta ran 1-3 with Young entering the BKN victory, it wasn't Trae's fault the Hawks let opposing bigs dance hearty Charlestons over Atlanta's offensive glass. But Trae's 24-66 mark from the field entering the Brooklyn bit was not agreeable. Young missed 21-26 three-pointers before his injury, though to his credit he's attempted a billion free throws and cut back on turnovers through four full contests.

The Hawks haven't splashed in his absence, save for Saturday's oddity. The team was 3-19 on threes (save for Luke Kennard's efforts) in the Cavs loss, and Kennard hasn't worked the last two games with an illness. Kristaps Porziņģis also missed the Laker win with an illness, he's been perfectly KP as a Hawk, save for missing 24-35 of his threes so far, a 31 percent mark which should rise.

Everyone's mark should rise, but Trae is a problem. The Hawks aren't championship class as long as he continues missing four or five three-pointers a game, as Young does on average. Or miss 64 percent of his voluminous three-point total, as Young's done on average his last four seasons. This is a 35 percent career three-point shooter who takes, and I'm sorry for bringing this name up, a Grayson Allen-amount of threes.

However. He's taking fewer to start the season. The Hawks won't thrive in his absence but they'll remind Young (from floor level, in street clothes) exactly what sort of quarterback Trae needs to be upon return.

The Hawks work 15 of Atlanta's first 25 games on the road, but an upcoming winnable Western road jaunt features pairings with the aching Clippers, worried Kings, and the so-so Suns. The Hawks play the Jazz the night after the Sacramento visit, but Utah fights tooth and nail against scheduled victories. Atlanta already got the home game against OKC out of the way and they've topped Orlando twice, drove Desmond Bane batty.

The collection of bigs has its troubles but it is early, communication hasn't been established yet, and an unlikely rebounding answer might be ready to spring off the pine.

ATL coach Quin Snyder worked ten guys in the rotation throughout last week and introduced a apparently-ready-for-this rookie Asa Newell onto America, via NBA TV, Saturday night. Newell was crucial as the Hawks pulled away in the first quarter, the newly-turned-20-year old looked a little winded at times but hit 7-12 from the floor, 17 points, four steals, five rebounds. His only other outing this year was a 12-point, 10-board rush against the Thunder, and he stepped right into the culture on Saturday.

The Hawks famously own New Orleans' unprotected 2026 first-round pick and February might be the best time to pass it along. Before other GMs lose nerve and presume the pick inappropriately drops three slots in the lottery pull.

Newell's presence always made tempering expectations palatable, but with New Orleans' 2-7 start the Hawks can think big.

NEW ORLEANS

Thank goodness, for Atlanta, that Zion Williamson cannot rebound. Williamson's ongoing injury absence and continued irrelevance are boons to NBA fans, we don't want to hear from him, we're lucky he is on the team which clearly does not care.

Which, y'know, swell thing for Pelicans fans! Jordan Poole is out for at least another week with a quad strain, starter Yves Missi's missed three games with illness. These were supposed to be the things to rely upon, while the Pelican forwards missed their usual 57 games.

Saddiq Bey was the answer to Poole's departure, I've always insisted Saddiq Bey was the answer, as the Pels topped Dallas on Wednesday and hung well with San Antonio on Saturday. And the forwards, my goodness, Herb Jones is healthy and Herb Jonesy, Trey Murphy III dropped 41 on San Antonio, III hit five threes for the fourth time in five games.

New Orleans had little choice this season after dealing that pick for Derik Queen, betting the healthy Zion would move some air, turn some wins. They've made the same bet before, but not with the same silhouette: Williamson is in shape, seemingly ready to throw at an NBA box score at least 57 times.

If Williamson can't create the occasional win, if his hamstring hurts even when he's in shape, then the Pels better act fast. Deal for every expiring contract obtainable, but put some points on the board. No reason to wait for Williamson, again, when New Orleans can't benefit from losing games. Go find good people who actually play, even if they aren't actually franchise players.

And, until then, fun. The Spurs loss was a gas even amid defeat, Jeremiah Fears remains a must-watch, and I'm convinced Kevon Looney (starting) and DeAndre Jordan (reserving) already decided to start a podcast together.

Speaking of podcasts.

JA TRADE?

Ja Morant missed 15-18 attempts on Sunday but the Grizzlies did not look bad in defeat to Oklahoma City, where the defending champion's bench managed a 4-23 mark at home. Can we attribute each outcome to Tuomas Iisalo's substitution patterns?

The Grizzlies know what Morant can be when he gets his act together. Morant ain't Allen Iverson, Morant is stronger already and will be wonderful if he ever commits to an NBA body. His perimeter fundamentals can be improved but they are strong, all he requires is the increase in three-point volume which aligns with increasing age. We can't hear anything, so we wander outside and wait for the pass.

Memphis wants to sustain Morant's top end into his 30s, while succeeding with the sort of slickness Ja can only earn through age.

This season? Memphis knows the NBA, where other dramas erupt once per week at minimum. Ja Morant's history of snottiness didn't begin with 2025-26's tip, but the flareup can be made to feel like last century's news by Grizzly game No. 32 in Los Angeles.

The Grizz play the Lakers on Jan. 2 and Jan. 4, you don't want to force a trade away from the team which gets to spend New Year's Eve in Los Angeles. Come on, Ja: Grizzlies team party on a 72-degree New Year's Day, mimosas and chicken wings and pajamas and those delicious Cheeto-flavored pretzels and teaching coach Tuomas how college football works. How college football betting works. Make some money back from your coach, Ja.

The problem between now and that queso fountain is the gnarsty sked: Memphis works 14 of its next 22 games on the road. Ty Jerome will return in the middle of that, Santi Aldama ain't out for all of it, Zach Edey was just sent to the minors to ramp up what the pros call "availability."

As for Memphis' substitution patterns?

The game changed severely over the last 25 years. Not only are we at our fastest pace since the 1980s, but those 1980s only teams ran goal to goal. NBA teams today run goal to goal then back out 25 feet then to the goal then back out 25 feet again. Then to the goal. Three All-Stars of varying ages fell to Achilles tear in the same postseason. The stop and start of the modern NBA is killing the calves in its flock.

Do cows flock? They did in the 1990s and early 2000s, basketball was famous but also dreadfully dull. The modern NBA is a running and sprinting sport unlike anything we've ever seen, it is time to do something unlike anything we've ever seen.

NBA teams play their best players the most minutes? What happens when strenuous NBA basketball ensures even the best players won't be the best on the court after too many minutes? Are they still the best players?

The game changed, I'm ready for anything. Save for uniforms with sleeves.

DALLAS

Maybe the NBA should have North/South conferences. Maybe the Mavs should make a three.

They hit single digits on average, 9.7. The Mavs are 3-7 entering Monday's contest against Milwaukee, but only with wins over Washington, Indiana, early Toronto. Seventh-worst point differential, better than Utah but worse than the Clippers.

But Dallas won on Saturday, the team's first victory without Anthony Davis in the lineup. Still without Dereck Lively, sixth man Klay Thompson sick in bed, but the Mavs butted the Wizards around simply by being a little better at all, this.

From there is anyone's call: Dallas is led by an 18-year old and D'Angelo Russell. P.J. Washington finishes a lot of plays and Max Christie and Naji Marshall sop minutes but all eyes are on Cooper Flagg, even as he wanders around. People Cooper Flagg's age do not contribute to winning basketball, in spite of not-bad numbers. There were a lot of reasons the 2003-04 Cleveland Cavaliers lost 47 games and many times that reason was LeBron James.

Flagg is great, will be legendary. Makes NBA reads already. Mavs maybe saved the season telling Anthony Davis to take a break. Long season, tall Mavericks, won't count them out.

ORLANDO

The Magic dropped to 4-6 on Sunday and it was another struggle, the team missing 23-30 three-pointers. Desmond Bane led the team with six assists, pulled five rebounds, scored but nine points on nine shots. Missed his single three-pointer. Desmond Bane hasn't played a game with a single three-point attempt since his rookie season, 2020-21, over four campaigns and 1700 three-point attempts ago.

Now, Boston does this, but the full-strength Magic look distressingly clang-y. Like a reverb tank is rattling.

Here's the thing: November. We're still months away from that part in 'Trading Places' where they take the call from Florida, to see if the oranges froze.

These guys were all hurt last year, they are re-developing saltwater functionality. Bane doesn't know his zip code yet. Orlando is not all-world defensively at the moment but last season's calling card has shown in spurts, Bane isn't in the way of that, as Jalen Suggs tries to save his midsection for May. Fifth-worst in three-point makes, sure, but a top-20 team in accuracy even after Sunday's slipfest.

Another thing? We can't trust the second half of a home-and-home, which is great.

These miniseries are marvelous. I'm sorry that Orlando-area Boston Celtic fans only had one chance to see the C's this season, but we saved enough in jet fuel savings to power 1/118th of any future Orlando-area AI data center. For an hour.

The Bulls/Knicks series was good, there is an upcoming Warriors/Spurs pairing in Texas to watch, twice.

LOVE IS A BEAUTIFUL THING

Thanks for reading!