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Robert Horry Details the Silver Lining in LeBron James’ Absence for the Lakers

Joseph Galizia
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Oct 5, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23), wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers hat, watches from the sideline during a break against the Golden State Warriors in the third quarter at Chase Center.

The Los Angeles Lakers will begin the regular season without LeBron James after news broke that The King will be sidelined for at least the first two weeks of the year due to a sciatic injury. While that might make some Purple and Gold fans anxious, a former Lakers legend explains why it could be a blessing in disguise.

As important as the now 40-year-old icon is to the team, the future of the Lakers lies in its youth. Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura could benefit from this James absence. So can Marcus Smart and DeAndre Ayton, the squad’s newest members.

This point was made by Robert Horry on the latest edition of his Big Shot Bob podcast. The seven-time NBA Champion explained that the Lakers can now find a balance without James on the court, one that will hopefully work in his absence.

“It’s gonna cause some people to get some time. Even though Smart is not really one hundred yet. We can see what Ayton can do, if he can really be a contributor on the offensive end,” stated Horry.

“You think about AR and Luka, how they kind of really the same player. How they can mix together and complement one another,” he added. And he’s 100% right. James only has a handful of years left. Not to mention, there is no indicator of how quickly he will recover. This team has to learn to win without the four-time NBA champ.

But it’s also a really good indicator for what James can bring to the team once he is healthy. At least, that’s what Horry thinks.

“This also is a good way for LeBron to sit and observe,” the former San Antonio Spur stated. “I think LeBron is a smart enough player to say, ‘If they’re winning, I want to keep this ship going in the right direction. Keep it afloat. What do I need to bring to this to make it better?'”

Another strong point that Big Shot Rob makes is that LeBron can potentially scheme a plan that will stretch his longevity out even further, especially if Luka can carry the Purple and Gold to success.

“Also, if you look at the long run of it, it’s a lot less taxing on LeBron’s body. So when we get down the stretch he probably has a lot left in the gas tank.”

So yeah, it might sting a little to start the season without LeBron, but maybe that’s exactly what this team needs. The Lakers finally have a chance to see what their younger core can do without leaning on The King every night, and that could pay off big later on.

If Reaves, Luka, and Hachimura step up, and Smart and Ayton find their rhythm, LA could be much more balanced by the time LeBron’s back. And knowing him, he’ll return with fresh legs, a fresh perspective, and a plan to make this team even better.

And lord knows they’ll need it. The West is shaping up to be a shootout. A Kevin Durant-led Rockets team, a rebuilt Clippers squad, and the always consistent Jokic-led Nuggets. That’s not even counting the defending champion Thunder. If the Lakers want to survive, they need to figure it out now.

Post Edited By:Somin Bhattacharjee

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph Galizia

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Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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