Now, before we go any farther in sullying the King's good name, let's first make it clear that LeBron is not the Lakers' only, or even most, casual player. That distinction belongs to Luka Doncic, the president of all casuals.

When Jayson Tatum went down with an Achilles tendon rupture in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, the Boston Celtics ' NBA title defense went with him. Most expected that the Celtics' 2025-26 season would be flushed down the drain too, as Boston awaited their All-NBA forward to return.