As the months tick down toward free agency in June, LeBron James is eyeing one last championship run with the Los Angeles Lakers.
NBA insider Brian Windhorst believes there is incontrovertible evidence that James, 41, “believes” in this Lakers team, which is 45-25 and on track to claim the three-seed in the stacked Western Conference.
The Lakers have won eight in a row — and though Luka Doncic’s sizzling form has taken the headlines, James’ own performances have shown that he has plenty left in the tank.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer posted a 19-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double against the Miami Heat on Thursday, a game in which Doncic went off for 60 points in a 134-126 victory.
“If you watch LeBron over the decades, there are times where you get to a point in the season and you know that he doesn’t believe in this team. You just know it when you see it,” Windhorst said Friday on ESPN’s “First Take.” “I know it when I see it. LeBron believes in this team.”
“I know it when I see it. LeBron believes in this team.”– Brian Windhorst pic.twitter.com/lVURRS2X9N
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 20, 2026
As Windhorst pointed out later in his segment, the Lakers face an uphill battle in the Western Conference even if they beat the Houston Rockets and the Minnesota Timberwolves to the No. 3 seed.
The reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder still have the league’s best record, while Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs look mighty imposing as the prospective two-seed with home-court advantage in a second-round series.
But Windhorst cited Doncic’s focus — he hasn’t picked up a technical foul during the Lakers’ winning streak — and James’ continued production as reasons for Lakers fans to believe a deep postseason run is coming.
“This was a historic game. You had one guy get 60 (points) and the other guy get a triple-double,” Windhorst said. “What a joy to watch the Lakers play last night.”
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