“Bald Head Stage”: Paul Pierce Explains Why LeBron James Needs to Let Go of His Control Over the Lakers

Tensions between LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers seem to have reached a boiling point. James reportedly hasn’t taken kindly to the team consulting Luka Doncic on offseason plans, leaving him in the dark. The Lakers, on the other hand, are openly acknowledging Doncic is their future and are building their team around him.

Of course, James understands Doncic is the future face of the franchise. Historically, when a young star is on a team with another great player, there is a passing of the torch. That process, however, is in most cases natural, not forced.

In this case, the King has become a casualty of the Lakers’ change in direction. And knowing him, he won’t give up without having the final say. However, Paul Pierce believes it is time for LeBron to come to a place of acceptance.

Questioning whether the Lakers are in morally good standing for leaving James out of their plans is a conversation that needs to be had. Keyshawn Johnson raised it on Fox Sports’ Speak: “20-something years in the league being King James. I’m not just going to all of a sudden pass the torch.”

Johnson has a point. LeBron, after all, willingly joined the Lakers in 2018 and propelled them to relevancy, which included a championship in 2020. So, should they have included him in these conversations? Probably, yes.

The reality of the situation is that they didn’t. This would be completely different if James were still in his mid-30s. He will be turning 41 in December. The clock is ticking toward retirement.

Pierce sees the writing on the wall and urges James to lift the veil that’s blocking him from doing the same. “They’re trying to help transition LeBron to the bald head stage,” he said. 

“LeBron, if you’re listening, this is what I need you to do. I need you to go to the bathroom. Grab those clippers. Close your eyes, and just go straight down the middle. It’s time to let it go. It’s time to give up the keys to Luka,” added Pierce.

Johnson, meanwhile, asked, “What if [he] wants to go with a one-guard?” He suggested that James has a bit of say. Pierce responded by saying, “He already had a one guard.”

It’ll be interesting to witness how the Lakers’ 2025-26 season pans out. They are outmatched in the talent department in comparison to other Western Conference contenders such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets.

This brewing discord between James and management could really end up messing up their plans for the year.