Ex-NBA player gives LeBron James a 'C' grade for 2025-26 season

The 2025-26 season was a different kind of season for LeBron James compared to what he had been accustomed to during his previous 22 campaigns in the NBA. He missed the first 14 games due to sciatica, and after he returned, he had to accept a new role as the Los Angeles Lakers' third scoring option. Throughout his entire basketball career, he had always been his team's featured player, and even if he hadn't been its top scoring option, he was its primary ball-handler and facilitator.

But Luka Doncic has leapfrogged James in the Lakers' pecking order in terms of scoring, ball-handling, facilitating and overall usage. Still, the 41-year-old handled the adjustment with grace, and after Doncic suffered a season-ending hamstring strain, he reverted back to being L.A.'s primary threat and led the team to an upset win over the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.

He may have left something to be desired, however, when L.A. was swept in the Western Conference semifinals by the Oklahoma City Thunder. That appears to be the reason former NBA player Rashad McCants only gave James a C grade for this season and said that he expected more during an episode of the "Gil's Arena" podcast (h/t Lakers Daily).

“Gotta give him flowers,” McCants said. “He’s done a lot for the league. He’s done a lot for the young fellas. But, essentially, winning is a metric for me. So, I’d give him a C. I think – I expect more from somebody that’s chasing the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time). It’s the highest standard you could be compared to. So, you have to outplay and outdo everybody all the time. There’s no rest. There’s no excuses. There’s no lack of accountability.”