Monday was the official start of the 2025-26 Lakers season, as Media Day hit El Segundo.

It was a low key, mellow affair, with no drama to speak of, and little news to be made. This is a good thing, of course. Luka Dončić came to camp with a new contract in hand, and had very little to say that hadn't been said already. LeBron James put to bed any sense of dissatisfaction, showing serious enthusiasm and excitement for the upcoming season, even while avoiding (no surprise) any firm commitments about what his future holds.

Rui Hachimura? No grumbling about starting vs. coming off the bench. Same with Marcus Smart. Deandre Ayton made it clear he fully understands and appreciates the stakes of this season. Will he follow through? We'll see, but early returns are positive. Austin Reaves? Ready to go. Bronny? Happy with his growth, and looking forward to more. Jaxson Hayes put on 20 pounds of muscle, which probably can't hurt.

And so on and so forth.

If you watched it on TV, you probably learned that JJ Redick has a performance coach.

All in all, it was the sort of first day at school the team would have wanted. Something less interesting for us media types is ideal for the organization itself.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Luka's ready, LeBron is excited.
SEGMENT 2: Ayton understands what's at stake.
SEGMENT 3: Opportunities abound.

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