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Victor Wembanyama had a stat line of 40 points in 26 minutes in the Spurs’ win over the Lakers, setting multiple records in the process.
Victor Wembanyama appears well on his way to becoming the next face of the NBA, which means speaking on potentially divisive and sensitive issues like the looming retirement decision of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
The league’s ecosystem might not, in fact, be drastically different when James finally retires, though it’s certainly going to feel that way after 23 years of frequently dominating on the court as well as the headlines off of it.
That was something that Wembanyama acknowledged when a reporter at the All-Star Game in L.A. asked the San Antonio Spurs big man if he will cry when James finally leaves the sport.
“No, I won’t shed any tears,” Wembanyama responded on Saturday, February 14. “But clearly, it’s going to feel weird.”
LeBron James Got Backlash After Receiving All-Star Nod Over Players Like Kawhi Leonard
GettyLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
James made the All-Star Game for the 22nd consecutive time in his 23-year career, though for the first time to considerable objections from around the league.
The common argument among fans and analysts alike is that James remains a quality NBA player, but he has not played well enough, or enough period, in 2025-26 to earn a spot in the proceedings. James is a reserve in the game, failing to earn a starting position.
Still, he initially got the nod over players like Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers, who is clearly having a superior season statistically and has been on the floor more often.
The 41-year-old James has played just 36 of a possible 54 games to this point in the year, averaging 22 points, 7.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per outing. Meanwhile Leonard, who is now in the game as a replacement, is averaging 27.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a league-leading 2.1 steals in 41 contests played.
Lakers Appear Ready to Move on From LeBron James, Transition to Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves Era
GettyLuka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Despite his age and injury issues, namely sciatica, that kept him out of action early in the year, James clearly remains not just an NBA-caliber player, but a starting-caliber player who meets the “star” threshold.
However, there are several reasons he might decide to hang up his jersey following the end of this campaign. One is that there is a reasonable, or even good, chance that he won’t be back with the Lakers next season. James’ contract is up this summer, while Austin Reaves can opt out and become a free agent where he will demand a considerable salary on the open market.
Most NBA insiders believe that Los Angeles will seek to retain Reaves as the primary sidekick to Luka Doncic, filling the offensive role that Kyrie Irving did on NBA Finals rosters alongside Doncic with the Dallas Mavericks and James with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Doncic and Reaves should form a dynamic duo on that end of the floor moving forward, but the Lakers will need to fill the roster in around them with athletic three-and-D wings and big men who can protect the rim on defense and offer lob threats to Doncic on offense.
James is likely to be a superfluous player/skill set alongside Doncic and Reaves, particularly considering the team’s roster needs around them and at any salary even close to the $52.6 million the Lakers are paying James to play for them in 2025-26.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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