"It's definitely a drug for sure" - LeBron James makes defiant claim about Lakers’ title chances ahead of his 17th playoff run

LeBron James shared his insights on competing in the playoffs. After a two-year gap, the LA Lakers have finally landed a playoff spot without needing to participate in the Play-In Tournament or end the regular season in 10th place.

This season, LA holds the third seed in the Western Conference, suggesting a good chance at winning their 18th title. Should it go as planned, King James could claim his fifth ring this year.

Having that in mind, LeBron James expressed enthusiasm for this year's playoffs. James said on the teaser for Tuesday's episode of his podcast - "Mind The Game" - that all he cares about these days is the postseason. Especially, now that they have the opportunity to win it all this season. The NBA's all-time scorer also mentioned how addictive the feeling of chasing after the ultimate goal is.

"Listen, at this point in my career, I just only care about the playoffs," James said. "If you have a chance to win it, and you know you have the team to have a chance, we can beat anyone. We know we have to play close to perfect basketball. Takes a lot of luck in the postseason. When it comes to playoff basketball, It's definitely a drug for sure."

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LeBron James off to a poor start in 2025 NBA Playoffs

LeBron James entered his 17th NBA playoffs on Saturday when the LA Lakers went up against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1. While many were looking forward to the Luka Doncic-led Lakers showing off what they can do in the postseason, the results were quite disappointing.

The Purple and Gold lost to the Timberwolves in a humiliating manner as Minnesota secured a dominant 117-95 victory. While Doncic did all that he could, posting 37 points to help LA keep up, the rest of the squad couldn't reciprocate the same energy.

Looking at Luka Doncic's All-Star performance, LeBron James set a disappointing record for himself in Game 1. For the first time in his career, James went pointless in the first quarter of a playoff game. When it comes to the postseason, the four-time champion has the nickname 'Playoff' Bron. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the King James failed to activate that persona, which resulted in the LA's loss on Saturday.