What's life like so far in Los Angeles without LeBron James? Well, if you listen to what Lakers forward Jake LaRavia just said about training camp, things have never been better.
In an answer captured by California Post's Khobi Price, LaRavia called this the best training camp he's been a part of since playing in the NBA.
Jake LaRavia said this has been the best training camp he's been a part of since entering the NBA in 2022.
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) October 1, 2026
His explanation for why he feels this way: "How committed everyone is. ⁰Obviously, this is a very new group of people on this team...everyone's bought in and willing to… pic.twitter.com/pvYgPr0mfQ
Jake LaRavia just hinted that the post-LeBron James Lakers are more energized and committed
LaRavia only spent one training camp with LeBron on the Lakers (last season), but it's worth noting that LaRavia used the word "committed" when describing why this year's training camp is different.
"It just seems everyone is committed to the same goal," LaRavia said. "[Rob Pelinka] and JJ [Redick] kinda talked to us about what they’re wanting from us this year, and I think everyone’s bought in and willing to sacrifice what it is for us to succeed.”
Oh ... so you mean not everyone was committed to the same goal last season? You mean not everyone bought in? You mean not everyone was willing to sacrifice?
Although LaRavia surely meant no shade in his remarks, it's difficult not to listen to his answer and not think of LeBron, whose very presence on any roster tends to cast an impossibly large net of influence over the entire organization. This was certainly the case with the Lakers, who struggled to sort out their pecking order last season until March.
Not until LeBron decided to take a backseat to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves did the Lakers start churning out wins like a contender. But it may've come with a later cost, as LeBron's now moved on, and some have branded that move as the Lakers effectively pushing LeBron out of the driver's seat.
Or, maybe losing LeBron wasn't a "cost" at all to the Lakers, but a liberating and necessary source of credit. Early returns on this are encouraging, although good vibes during training camp don't guarantee anything about what'll happen in June.
LeBron James didn't make sense on the Lakers anymore
LaRavia's comments hint at a Lakers roster that isn't bogged down by conflict or a too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen dynamic. Clumsy roster construction -- such as having one too many big-time ballhandlers -- leads to locker room (or training camp) friction. It's not like Luka ever came out and disparaged LeBron (or vice versa) -- there's way too much mutual respect there -- but as time passes, it's becoming clear that the Luka-LeBron situation was never going to work.
LeBron's poised to play point guard/selfless assist machine for his new club, the Philadelphia 76ers. It's a role he'll be scary good at, and it's also a role he wouldn't have been able to play all of the time with the Lakers. The ball is in Luka's hands far too often for Point God LeBron to spread his wings.
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