LeBron James Rips Lakers Minutes Restriction in Netflix Doc: 'Hate This S--t Already'

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Fans who recall the start of last season when the Los Angeles Lakers attempt to monitor LeBron James' minutes to preserve his body for the full 82-game schedule will not be surprised to learn the future Hall of Famer wasn't a fan of that approach.

In a scene from the Netflix Starting 5 documentary series, James is heard saying "I hate this s--t already" when talking about the Lakers' approach to his playing time during the season opener against the Denver Nuggets.

James only played 29 minutes in that game against the Nuggets, which the Lakers lost 119-107.

Then-head coach Darvin Ham told reporters after the game that "in all likelihood" they would continue to monitor James' minutes.

It wasn't a bad idea on the surface. James was the oldest player in the NBA during the 2023-24 campaign and missed 80 games in the previous three seasons combined due to injuries.

The minutes limit wound up lasting a total of one game. James was back up to 35 minutes in the Lakers' second game of the season against the Phoenix Suns. He told reporters afterward it was an "easy" call when Ham asked if he wanted to play the entire fourth quarter.

"I know how much work I've put in to be able to play quarters or whatever the case may be," James said. "And I understand that we definitely have a system put in place, but tonight called for me to go outside the box."

If you remove blowouts—in this case, games the Lakers won or lost by at least 15 points—the 29 minutes James played in the opener against the Nuggets were his fewest in a game last season. Even with blowouts factored in, it was the 10th-fewest minutes he played in a game during the 2023-24 campaign.

James finished the season averaging 35.3 minutes per game. It was the fourth-lowest average of his career, with the top three being his first three seasons in Los Angeles.

Taking away the minutes restriction after just one game didn't have much of an impact on James' availability. His 71 games played were his most in a single season since his final season with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017-18 when he started all 82 games.

Now that James is 40 years old going into his 22nd season, it will be interesting to see if new Lakers head coach JJ Redick tries to implement a minutes plan for the four-time MVP.

If history is any indication, even if Redick wants to do that, James will quickly override the decision.