LeBron James didn’t mince words after the Los Angeles Lakers fell 119-110 at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, February 10, 2026. He laid out a stark comparison. The Thunder, he said, are a championship team. The Lakers, with LeBron’s own words to ESPN, aren’t.
The veteran made it plain. He pointed to the difference in sustained effort and energy across an entire game as the main gap. It’s a tough pill for Lakers fans, especially after their three-game winning streak snapped.
Lakers Falters, Thunder Shows Championship Grit
The game itself saw the Lakers lead 99-98 with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. But the Thunder, playing without their reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, closed things out strong. They went on a 21-11 run to seal the 119-110 win.
Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 23 points. He put up 10 of those in the final five minutes. The Oklahoma City bench unit was big too. Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe, and Jaylin Williams combined for 47 points. Alex Caruso, a former Laker, even dropped 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting, going 3-of-4 from deep. Just a solid performance from their role players. The Lakers, meanwhile, saw another ineffective defensive performance.
LeBron James had 22 points, with 14 in the second half. He added 10 assists and 6 rebounds, shooting 9-of-17 from the field. Austin Reaves chipped in 16 points. Luka Dončić missed his second straight game for the Lakers with a mild hamstring strain. And it seemed like the Lakers missed his offense, badly.
LeBron’s Blunt Assessment
After the final buzzer, LeBron didn’t hold back. He said what a lot of people were thinking. “You want me to compare us to them? That’s a championship team right there, we’re not,” James told reporters. “We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes, and they can. That’s why they won a championship.”
It’s a direct shot. And it came from the guy who knows more about championship basketball than anyone on that Lakers roster. He’s in his 23rd season, still playing at an All-Star level. He just made his 22nd consecutive All-Star team. So when he talks about what a championship team looks like, you listen.
Redick’s Frustration and the Bigger Picture
Head Coach JJ Redick was also frustrated. He pointed to a key area where the Lakers struggled. “I didn’t think we did a good job of getting LeBron the ball,” Redick said. He felt they didn’t execute plays and lacked recognition. LeBron, apparently, had good matchups against smaller Thunder defenders late in the game.
Redick thought they should’ve capitalized on that. “Him playing against smaller players was how we got back in the game, and we didn’t do a good job of getting him the ball. It’s frustrating,” Redick added. It’s a fair point from the coach.
The Thunder are the defending NBA champions, remember. They’re even favored to repeat this year. They showed that championship poise, even without their star guard. The Lakers now sit at 32-20, still a solid record, but far from what LeBron seems to think is championship-caliber. And LeBron’s contract situation still hangs over the team. He couldn’t agree to an extension last summer, so he’s playing out his option year. That’s got to be on his mind too. Seems like there’s a lot for the Lakers to figure out.
