LeBron James Ready to Lead Lakers Into Playoffs. Can He Turn Back the Clock? (Plus, Bufkin Waived)

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers · Apr 10, 2026 · 21m

After Thursday's win in Golden State, LeBron James was asked by Amazon/Spectrum's Allie Clifton about what's needed from him as the Lakers head into the playoffs:

"Everything. Nothing changes for me, it's just back to the old ways. I gotta give them my leadership both on the floor and off the floor. I gotta lead in all facets on the court, both ends. That's what the job requires, so I look forward to it and let's see what we can get done."

That basically sums it up. But in that quote is a lot of nuance. First, there are questions of whether at 41 years old, LeBron has the juice to be "the…