LeBron James Leaving Lakers, Ending Run of 8 Consecutive Opening Night Games, Stuns Fans – “No LeBron, No Motion”

Lakers’ NBA schedule snub reveals harsh reality about LeBron James’ exit.

LeBron James Leaving Lakers, Ending Run of 8 Consecutive Opening Night Games, Stuns Fans – “No LeBron, No Motion”

LeBron James (Image credits - NBA)

When LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent in 2018, it was assumed that the Lakers would be the third and final franchise of his career. It did seem so at first, as the Lakers drafted his son, Bronny James, in 2024 and LeBron completed eight years in LA, which is his longest single stint with a team.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, he had other ideas. James continues to defy Father Time after an impressive 23rd season in the NBA. After the 2025-26 campaign came to an end, he announced that he would be leaving the Lakers.

‘The King’ tested free agency for the fourth time in his career and decided to sign a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. The move was a surprise to everyone, as he has no history with Philly. It also confirmed that James will continue to play in his 24th and 25th seasons in Philly.

The schedule for opening night and Christmas was released Tuesday. NBA insider Shams Charania posted the fixtures for opening night, and it featured a blockbuster clash between the New York Knicks and the 76ers.

However, there was one notable omission. For the first time since the 2018-19 season, the Lakers were not scheduled to play on opening night.

The Lakers have featured on opening night for the last seven years till James’ departure. His move to the 76ers sees them take on the defending champions at Madison Square Garden on October 20.

It looks like the Lakers are already feeling the impact since the King’s exit. Despite having Luka Doncic on the roster, it did not matter. It shows that even after 23 years, James is still the face of the league and the biggest draw in the NBA.

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Fans react to Lakers not playing on opening night after LeBron James’ exit

When James announced that he would be parting ways with the Lakers, it was not only the fans and teams waiting for his next announcement. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver revealed that even the league was waiting for his own decision, as they had the schedule on hold. Once it was confirmed, the 76ers dominated the national broadcast games.

After the opening day games were announced, fans took to social media to react to the Lakers missing out.

Fans were left stunned to not see the Lakers featured on opening day. The Lakers get their 2026-27 campaign underway against the Golden State Warriors on October 21.

LeBron James will face the Lakers on Christmas Day

LeBron James played for the purple and gold for eight years. During his spell with the Lakers, he delivered them their first championship in a decade in 2020 and also broke the All-Time scoring record, which was held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for nearly 39 years.

LeBron James
LeBron James (Image credits – LA Times)

While the Lakers missed out on opening night, they will be hosting James and the 76ers at home on Christmas Day.

After his departure, reports emerged that James felt that he did not get the love he deserved from Lakers fans despite winning them a title. It will be interesting to see how they receive him when he takes to the court at the Crypto.com Arena on Christmas Day.

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