"Was a bit different" — Los Angeles Lakers insider weighs in on LeBron James’ quiet courtside vibe and alleged changing tune with team

LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers' great forward, was not present for the start of the 2025–26 regular season on Tuesday. However, he still attracted attention from the bench. He was observed on the bench exhibiting what some may consider to be unenthusiastic body language.

This is because he is currently dealing with sciatica. Now, Jovan Buha, a Lakers insider, claimed that the atmosphere around LeBron’s situation with the team has not been the best overall.

LeBron James’ unusual bench demeanor raises subtle, intriguing questions about his shifting dynamics with the L.A Lakers

The season opener for the Los Angeles Lakers ended with a defeat. However, all eyes were on LeBron James, who was sitting still on the bench and hardly responding to anything that happened on the court. For context, James did not play in the October 21 Los Angeles Lakers game against the Golden State Warriors.

Due to an injury, the 40-year-old did not participate. Now, reports suggest that his alleged stoic behavior wasn’t just about him being sidelined with a sciatica issue. Talking about it, Buha said: “Yeah, I mean I don’t wanna play armchair psychologist here, so I wanna refrain from too much speculation. But the vibes with that situation have not been the best, I’ll say.”

He further stated: “So, again, I don’t really wanna go too much down that road, but yeah, I mean, I thought there were times just looking at the huddle or looking at the bench that he wasn’t as engaged as he typically is when he’s out.”

He then added:“You just never know what some someone’s having a bad day or something’s going on, whatever. You don’t wanna project onto people what you think they are feeling or acting like. But just in the observations I made of the body language, was not great, and I do think it was a bit different than what it has been in the past in this same situation of him being out.”The Lakers are still getting used to a significant change in leadership at the moment. The team's face on the court is now Luka Doncic, who joined in the historic trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks.

LeBron, who is starting his 23rd season, is witnessing someone else spearhead the Lakers' offense for the first time in his career.

A lingering concern casts new uncertainty over LeBron’s road back to the court

On October 9, the Lakers declared that James would miss the first couple weeks of the regular season due to a sciatica problem on his right side. Following the announcement, the club also provided an update, stating that James would undergo another evaluation three to four weeks later.

James was reportedly suffering from a nerve inflammation in his glute. Basketball fans and commentators have been following LeBron's prognosis because the illness can have a wide range of results. This may vary from a few weeks of rest and conservative therapy to permanent injury that can result in life-altering physical issues. However, neither James nor his representatives had said anything about the injury. They also haven’t commented on the seriousness of the issue. Also read: LeBron James to the Golden State Warriors? Franchise reportedly made multiple calls to Los Angeles Lakers over potential trade