At 41 years old, LeBron James has become the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. Unfortunately, his stellar play for his age hasn’t translated to tremendous team success for the Los Angeles Lakers. They are a good team, but far from being championship contenders. However, Stephen A. Smith isn’t ruling out another deep run if James can continue this run of form.
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Despite being without the services of Luka Doncic for the past few games leading into the All-Star break, James has done his best to will the Lakers to important wins. In their latest game against the Dallas Mavericks, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists.
Notably, this performance comes in the midst of James’ worst statistical season since his rookie season. His stats across the board have dropped as he continues to progress closer to retirement. Yet, while he produces stellar numbers, the Lakers haven’t been able to capitalize on this production as they still have major defensive flaws.
As a result, ESPN insider Brian Windhorst believes the expectation needs to change with this team. Once that happens, these performances from James will become significantly more enjoyable.
“Just maximize what you got and enjoy a good night of basketball,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s First Take. “It’s okay to do that, and that’s what LeBron delivered last night.”
“Just maximize what you got and enjoy a good night of basketball. It’s okay to do that, and that’s what LeBron delivered last night.” @stephenasmith shares his thoughts on LeBron James becoming the oldest NBA player to record a triple-double ✍️ pic.twitter.com/1Yqy61nQwg
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 13, 2026
Windhorst certainly has an excellent point. Many people don’t enjoy basketball as much as they should. Stephen A. Smith understands where Windhorst is coming from, but can’t quite shift his stance yet.
“The reality is that because it’s LeBron James, even though there’s a dip, the fact of the matter is it’s a testament of his greatness because it shows how elevated his game has been. When LeBron James is playing great, the Lakers have the potential to knock off some people,” Smith proclaimed.
James has been one of the greatest playoff performers in NBA history. But expecting him to pull off magic tricks might be a bit much. After all, many believed the Lakers were capable of a deep postseason run last year, yet they mightily struggled against the Minnesota Timberwolves. ‘
That said, a trio of James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves isn’t something any team will take lightly. Will James be able to lead the Lakers to a championship? The odds are very low. But stranger things have happened in the NBA. So we will just have to wait and see how far the Lakers drag themselves without a proper defense.
