LeBron James has another great playoff series for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Despite losing three out of four games, James was impressed with his average average of 26.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.3 blocks and two steels.
The Lakers’ struggle has little to do with his performance. Instead, they talk about the volume of him and Luka Donsic’s lack of help.
However, after the Lakers went 3-1 down, one former NBA player called out James with some surprisingly surprising comments.
Whether you consider James a person or a basketball player, he rarely questioned his commitment to his profession.
Well, 2025 NBA All-Star Jeff Teague did it on his popular podcast after watching Game 4 between the Lakers and the Timberwolves.
Teague has played against James many times and believes he has now noticed a change in the offensive game.
“LeBron isn’t playing for the real thing anymore,” he explained. “He’s not. I played against LeBron, which doesn’t give AF anymore.
“You have to see how he was killed (in Game 3). He took all three. Even if he could get to the bucket, he was like “F-that s—.”
“He shot a stepback 3 and slammed the side of the backboard. “Yeah, LeBron isn’t actually playing,” because Bron usually drives with his head down.
“(When) he had Rudy Goatbert, he would drive with his head bowed and he would know Bron. We’ve seen him for 25 years. When he gets tough, Bron drives the ball.”
James is one of the hardest-working athletes to date, and his performance in the 2024-25 season, his 22nd place in the NBA proves that clearly.
He may not have the same drive he was chasing his first championship with the Miami Heat, but it seems totally unfair to say he doesn’t care.
Instead, his reluctance to drive to the basket probably talks more about his energy levels. After all, he is 40 years old.
The forward was asked by manager JJ Reddick to play at least 40 minutes per game, and he was excellent on the defensive side.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves need to carry the majority of their offensive workload, with James mostly staying on the boundary line and being able to shoot three.
Plus, he’s barely hindering the Lakers as he earns 39.1% of his shots from Downtown, the fourth-best postseason rating of his career.