LeBron James played only 29 minutes in his 21st season opener as the Los Angeles Lakers lost 119-107 to the Denver Nuggets. Coach Darvin Ham explained the limited playing time aligns with the team’s future strategy.
The Nuggets gained an early 18-point lead, spurred by a crowd of 19,842 at Ball Arena celebrating their first ring night.
LeBron led the Lakers with 21 points on 10-for-16 shooting and eight rebounds. He contributed five assists with zero turnovers, holding the best plus-minus rating among Lakers’ starters at plus-7.
Despite his willingness to be on the court, LeBron recognized the importance of the team’s rest-focused system.
During the prior season, he averaged 35.5 minutes per game, missing 27 games due to a foot injury. The Lakers plan to maintain his playing time within the 28-30 minute range initially, with flexibility based on daily assessments.
This shift increases the pressure on Anthony Davis to provide productive play. Davis scored 17 first-half points but went scoreless in the second half.
Gabe Vincent, making his Lakers debut with six points on 3-for-8 shooting, stressed the importance of involving Davis and a collective commitment to an aggressive offensive strategy.
