LeBron James made NBA history on Tuesday night, taking the court to officially begin his 23rd season. James had missed the first 14 games of Los Angeles’s season due to sciatica and was quiet points-wise in his debut against the Jazz but made his presence felt offensively. The King totaled 12 assists in his first game since the Lakers were eliminated in the playoffs last April. The Lakers proved victorious on the night but that wasn’t the biggest takeaway of the evening.
How, exactly, James would fit into the offense was a bit of a question while he was sidelined. This offseason Los Angeles made it a point to go out and acquire players who would fit well next to Luka Dončić. Which makes sense given Dončić is one of the best players in the NBA and the Lakers were unable to build a roster for him last year since they acquired him midseason. But it’s notable because, for the first time since James joined the franchise, the roster was not molded around his talents alone.
