The opening night left the Lakers with a series of questions. Precisely, and loudly enough, with a ‘what if?’ about LeBron James’ presence on the court on Tuesday. The LA side tipped off their season with a 109-119 loss against the Warriors. While Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry dominated with a combined 54-point game, Bron sat courtside. No smile on his face and not even a clap! Was this the sadness of missing his first-ever opening night in 23 years? Or did this unprecedented behavior narrate a different story?

Bron sat out with sciatica, and fans noticed that his unavailability wasn’t the only matter of concern for the Lakers. Because you see, the 40-year-old looked aloof the entire night. At least that’s what an Instagram user, bballtalkerz’s video showcased. James just didn’t engage with his teammates or the coach. He didn’t even seem to celebrate whatever was going on on-court, precisely when Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves scored.

Meanwhile, X user @damanr observed: “I’m not a body language doctor by profession, and this is just one man’s observation: LeBron was disconnected all night, not interacting with the team, coaches, or what was taking place on the court all game. Don’t kill the messenger, just reporting what I saw.”

He also added, “I’ve been going to games for years, I noted an observation (that I stand by) for something that stood out. It could be anything, I didn’t speculate on any reason – it is just different than other times I’ve seen him on bench. I’m tripling down on it, I know what I saw.”

Now, if you remember, Kobe Bryant had this habit of not smiling or reacting when he sat courtside. Therefore, many fans who rushed to defend LeBron James also noted that when Kobe did it, it was a testament to the Mamba Mentality… Needless to say, the 40-year-old superstar has once again stirred up the NBA pots without even being present on the court!

Interestingly, though, JJ Redick had mentioned that “Bron was really helpful” during the Lakers’ film session on Wednesday. The head coach also assured everybody that the Chosen One’s input behind the scenes is helping the Lakers’ group improve.

Meanwhile, guard Austin Reaves poured his heart out about the 40-year-old. Despite the loss, AR shone with a 26-point night, which surely sparked some hope among the fanbase. But moving forward, he has a lot more to do for the team.

Austin Reaves speaks his true feelings about LeBron James

Austin Reaves turned the Crypto.com Arena into his own stage, erupting for 26 points on 9 of 16 shooting, 1 of 5 from deep, and 7 of 10 at the free-throw line. He filled the stat sheet with five boards, nine dimes, and two steals in 36 minutes against the Warriors. With LeBron James out, he’s carrying the load, while the Lakers scramble to fix the little things before another shakeup hits.

“I think when the goal is to win, roles and situations change. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to do what you think is best to help the team win. And I feel like that’s what we did tonight. We came up short, but obviously, when you’re missing a guy like Bron, you’re not going to fill that with one person. You have to try to fill that. I need to do something a little better, Luka needs to do something a little better, Rui’s got to pitch in a little more,” AR told the media in the locker room after the game.

Reaves also added, “But like I said, you can’t do what he does with one person. If I was LeBron James, I probably would have retired by now. But yeah, he’s one of the greatest players to ever touch a basketball. So you have to do it as a collective group.” This wasn’t a jab at LeBron’s age or his future in the league, even with his contract nearing its end. Austin Reaves was simply applauding his endurance, admitting he couldn’t have kept going this long himself.

LeBron James didn’t need to play to steal the night. His silence spoke louder than a roar. Another concerning issue was Luka Doncic’s health. The Lakers star required some treatment on the inside of his right leg after seemingly pulling his groin late in the game. While JJ Redick assured that the Slovenian “seems to be fine,” questions still linger. The Lakers may wobble without their pillar, but the story is far from over as long as they avoid further injuries.