JJ Redick says LeBron James helped break down Lakers’ opening loss to Warriors

The Los Angeles Lakers opened their 2025–26 NBA season in disappointing fashion, falling 109–119 to the Golden State Warriors at the Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday, October 22 (Philippine Standard Time).

The Lakers played without their talisman LeBron James, who is currently sidelined with a sciatica-related issue affecting the right side of his body. The 40-year-old is targeting a mid-November return, but still made his presence felt courtside, providing vocal support and leadership for his teammates.

Following the defeat, Lakers head coach JJ Redick revealed that the team reviewed film of the game with LeBron actively involved in the analysis — particularly in identifying defensive lapses that allowed Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield too much freedom on the perimeter.

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“LeBron was really helpful,” Redick said. “We did a poor job of locating the lasers in transition, which was a point of emphasis in our defense. Buddy Hield got two three-pointers off in the second half, and Steph got one right in front of our bench in the first half. That was literally the second priority of the game — locating those guys in transition. So we cleaned that up and talked it through in film.”

“Bron was really helpful.” JJ Redick describes the Lakers’ film session on Wednesday and the dialogue with LeBron James in the room helping identify the areas of improvement for the group. pic.twitter.com/KIUzId86sd

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 22, 2025

The 41-year-old coach added that he values LeBron’s input and encourages open dialogue during film sessions.

“I told them that him asking questions and giving his input — that back-and-forth — is so healthy. I want that every single time we review film. If you’ve got a question, speak up. If you want to make a point, speak up. It was good,” Redick noted.

Curry and Hield combined to shoot 8-of-19 from beyond the arc, outpacing the Lakers’ collective 8-of-32 three-point shooting. The disparity from deep proved costly for Los Angeles, who also had to deal with a brief injury scare concerning Luka Dončić. The Slovenian star appeared to tweak his groin late in the fourth quarter and required over an hour of postgame treatment, though he still managed an incredible 43 points in 41 minutes.

“He seems to be fine,” Redick said. “I don’t think it’s anything major. He got treatment this morning, and even though practice was short, he was a participant.”

With LeBron’s return timetable still uncertain, the Lakers will aim to bounce back when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, October 25 (Philippine Standard Time) at the Crypto.com Arena.

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