July 25, 2026, 10:51 a.m. CT<\/p>\n
With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined by injury, the Rockets were significant favorites<\/a> entering their recent playoff series against the Lakers.<\/p>\n Unfortunately for Houston, future Hall of Famer LeBron James led Los Angeles to a 4-2 victory<\/a> in that first-round series to open the 2026 Western Conference playoffs.<\/p>\n And as it turns out, that may have given the 41-year-old more fuel to delay retirement and extend his legendary career.<\/p>\n On Friday, James announced<\/a> that he would sign with the Philadelphia 76ers for at least the 2026-27 campaign. And in a podcast<\/a> recorded shortly after that announcement, longtime agent Rich Paul pointed to that Lakers-Rockets playoff series as a turning point for his client.<\/p>\n Paul\u2019s comments<\/a> via Game Over:<\/p>\n Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!<\/a><\/p>\n That series, in my opinion, convinced him to keep playing. I think if they somehow got swept or lose 4-1 in that series, it could be different. I think that gave us another ride.<\/p>\n The Lakers did get swept in the second round of the playoffs, but that came against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a>, which was understandable (particularly given the absence of Doncic).<\/p>\n The previous round, however, had already showed that James still had something left in the tank. In six games versus the Rockets, the All-Star forward led the Lakers with averages of 23.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game.<\/p>\n Then again, from a Houston perspective, there is a bit of consolation. For starters, the Rockets had their own injury absences to point to, starting with Kevin Durant (for five of six games), Fred VanVleet, and Steven Adams.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also a silver lining in that the Rockets signed away Marcus Smart in 2026 free agency<\/a>, and Smart was arguably the second-most impactful player for the Lakers (behind James) in that series.<\/p>\n And even though Houston missed out on the opportunity to perhaps end James\u2019 career, it\u2019s worth noting that he\u2019ll now play in the Eastern Conference. In doing so, he left the Lakers and bypassed<\/a> an opportunity to join the Golden State Warriors, and those are the two West rivals that knocked the Rockets out of the playoffs the past two years.<\/p>\n So, considering those factors, Houston is potentially in a better position entering the 2026-27 campaign in October. Nonetheless, Paul\u2019s comments offer another reminder as to just how disappointing the finish to 2025-26 was in May.<\/p>\n