Steven A. Smith makes bold statement about LeBron James and he is right

May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23) handles the ball against Houston Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (2) during the second quarter of game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Houston Series Could Have Gone Very Differently

People already seem to be forgetting how close the Lakers came to an early exit against the Houston Rockets.

If not for LeBron:

• The Lakers likely lose that series
• The offense completely stalls late in games
• The Rockets overwhelm them physically

James controlled tempo, created offense, and repeatedly made winning plays when the Lakers desperately needed them. That series reminded everyone that even at this stage of his career, LeBron can still take over stretches of playoff basketball.

The Thunder Were Simply Too Much

Against Oklahoma City, though, reality finally hit. The Thunder are:

• Younger
• Deeper
• Faster
• More athletic

And unlike previous opponents, they had the personnel to survive even when LeBron played well. That’s not an indictment of James. That’s just the reality of where the Lakers roster stands compared to a championship-level team like OKC.

LeBron’s Age Is Showing—But So Is His Greatness

Can LeBron still carry a team for four straight playoff rounds the way he once did? Probably not. That’s fair to say. But there’s a massive difference between:

• “Not capable of carrying a title team alone anymore.”
  and
• “Still being the reason your season mattered at all.”

The Lakers were much closer to irrelevance than contention this year. LeBron prevented that. So Steven. A is actually right in his take. LeBron deserves tons of credit for what he was able to do this season.

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