Forget his slow start — LeBron James is still that guy

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has gotten off to a bit of a slow start in the 2025-26 season, but fans of the Lakers and the NBA shouldn’t be worried.

James is the oldest player in the league, yet he showed on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers that he can still turn things up to an All-NBA level when he needs to. The Lakers star scored 29 points on 12-of-17 shooting (including 4-of-6 shooting from 3) while dishing out six assists and grabbing seven rebounds in a win where he took over down the stretch.

After his double-digit scoring streak ended against the Toronto Raptors (James had the game-winning assist in that game), the four-time champion bounced back in a big way on Sunday, showing he still has plenty left in the tank.

While there has been some chatter that James is no longer the player he used to be, there’s reason to believe that he can round into form in the 2025-26 season – and the win over Philadelphia was just a starting point.

For starters, James is coming off a pretty serious injury, as he was sidelined for training camp and the start of the season with sciatica. For a player that is on the other side of 40, James is going to have more wear and tear on his body than just about anyone in the league.

In fact, he admitted after Sunday’s win that he wasn’t feeling great after the Toronto game where he finished with just eight points on 4-of-17 shooting. He also acknowledged that he still isn’t at 100 percent yet.

It’s hard to expect any player to hit the ground running after missing so much time with an injury, and James might have just needed a few games to round into form.

Through four games last season, the Lakers star was averaging 20.0 points per contest (with an 11-point game and 16-point game mixed in). He finished the season averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game while earning another All-NBA selection.

If he had a slow start last season before turning it up, shouldn’t we have been prepared for something similar this time around, especially with his sciatica situation factored in?

Sure, this season, the scoring is down a little more through seven games (16.1 points per contest) than it was through a few games last season, but James is also coming into a totally different role.

With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves rolling to open the season, James has not been asked to be the No. 1 scoring option on many nights. In fact, he’s taking 4.2 fewer shots per game than he did in the 2024-25 campaign. So, naturally, his scoring numbers are going to see a dip.

Still, vintage James was on display on Sunday, knocking down shots from all over the floor to lead the Lakers to a win. That player may not be needed every night with Doncic in the fold, but James still has that elite level in him.

In addition to that, James has already fit in seamlessly as a passer in this Lakers offense. He’s averaging 7.6 assists per game this season and dropped 11 dimes in the win over Toronto on Thursday.

James only shot 4-of-17 from the field in that game, but he found ways to make a profound impact for L.A. without scoring the ball. James averages 7.4 assists per game for his career, and he’s widely regarded as one of the best passers in NBA history. That won’t change even if his age has limited his otherworldly athleticism that he was known for earlier in his career.

While he may not put up the scoring numbers that Reaves and Doncic do, James has already shown he’s going to make winning plays for the Lakers.

Plus, Sunday’s game featured another welcome sign in James’ game. His 3-point shot fell at a high clip (4-of-6) after he opened the month 1-of-9 from 3. He’s still shooting just 33.3 percent from deep this season, but recent history suggests that number will improve.

James shot 41.0 and 37.6 percent from 3 in each of the last two completed seasons while taking over five attempts per game. If his current 3-point shooting starts to find that level, he’s going to continue to grow his points per game average.

It’s easy for fans and pundits to write James off after a slow start since there has never been a player as successful as he’s been at this age in the NBA. However, last season should serve as a reminder to those that think Father Time has caught up with the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

James was an All-NBA selection last season and played in 70 games. He finished sixth in the league’s MVP voting at 40 years old and was a major reason why the Lakers earned the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.

So, it seems foolish to put so much stock into a few down games to start a season. Time and time again, James has proven to be one of the most impactful players in the game, and his display against Philadelphia was just another reminder – he’s still that guy.