LeBron James' rival Paul Pierce says the king’s reign is over urges Los Angeles Lakers to reset around Luka Doncic for a championship push

Just hours after the Los Angeles Lakers were bounced from the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA legend Paul Pierce sparked fresh debate around the franchise’s future. Appearing on FS1's Speak on Thursday, Pierce didn’t mince words when offering his take on the direction L.A. should take. With LeBron James turning 40 and holding immense sway over the franchise, Pierce believes it’s time for the Lakers to cut ties and pivot toward a new chapter—one centered around Luka Doncic. He argued that sentimental loyalty can no longer outweigh the need for long-term strategy, especially with the Western Conference becoming more competitive each year.

Speaking on 'Speak' the day after the Los Angeles Lakers’ Game 5 loss at Crypto.com Arena, Paul Pierce delivered a bold suggestion: end the LeBron James era in Los Angeles. The Hall of Famer and longtime Celtics rival of James acknowledged the four-time MVP’s contributions but said it’s time to move forward.

“This is what needs to happen: if the Lakers want to get back to being a championship contender moving forward, you have to get out of the constraints of the LeBron James era,” Pierce said on Thursday. “He’s had a grasp over the whole organization, bear-hugging them, for so long now.”
The Lakers were eliminated on Wednesday night in a 103 to 96 defeat to Minnesota, closing out a five-game series loss that left more questions than answers about their future. Despite finishing with a strong 50 to 32 regular season record and securing the third seed in the West, the team was thoroughly outclassed by the Timberwolves.
Even with LeBron posting solid series averages of 25.4 points, 9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game on nearly 49 percent shooting, fatigue was evident, especially late in games. Defensive lapses from both James and Doncic, paired with head coach JJ Redick’s decision to sit traditional bigs, left the Lakers exposed in the paint.
Pierce made it clear he believes the future should revolve around Luka Doncic. “It’s time for the Luka era now, because I don’t know if you can play them together moving forward,” he said. “You have to have a certain team around Luka to win. And him with LeBron, you won’t be able to create that.”
While the Lakers did pivot midseason by acquiring Luka Doncic, the chemistry has yet to click fully. Pierce emphasized that difficult conversations need to happen. “He’s done some wonderful things for the Lakers organization. 100 percent. They’re probably gonna build a statue of LeBron. But I’m just saying, they have to say, ‘We appreciate your services, I think we should move on.”
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LeBron James holds a player option for the 2025 to 2026 season and a no-trade clause, meaning the Lakers can’t force his exit even if they want to. But with Paul Pierce pushing for a hard reset and the team staring down another early playoff exit, Los Angeles faces a pivotal offseason. Whether they stick with James or pass the torch to Doncic, a major identity shift may be on the horizon.