Lakers' LeBron James Has Brutal Response to Why Celtics Lost to Knicks

Ricardo Sandoval | May 20, 2025

Jan 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts in the second half against the Boston Celtics at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers' season ended abruptly. They fell to the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.

It was a series that exposed the Lakers in many different ways. Their roster was flawed in many ways, and many suspected that throughout the season, especially after the trade deadline. That came to light on the biggest stage for L.A.

The focus has now shifted to the offseason and how the Lakers can assemble a championship-caliber roster for the upcoming season and beyond. While the NBA playoffs are still underway with the Conference Finals approaching, LeBron James continues to stay active off the court with his podcast, Mind the Game.

In the latest episode, released Tuesday, James discussed a range of topics—including the Boston Celtics' unexpected early exit from the postseason. Boston was eliminated in six games by the New York Knicks, and to make matters worse, they lost their star forward, Jayson Tatum, to an Achilles injury during the series.

While several factors contributed to Boston’s collapse, James pointed out what he believes was the key element behind the Celtics' early exit.

“It seems like they get bored sometimes with — I don't wanna say the process because they are who they are...sometimes they get a little bored because of how great they are," James said.

LeBron James on the Celtics:

“Sometimes they get a little bored because of how great they are.”

(via @mindthegamepod) pic.twitter.com/4DLA2tCpuB

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 20, 2025

James has a point. Boston, while dominant all season and even last year, which led to their 18th title, appeared to have trouble at times going through the motions.

We saw that on display during the first two games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. In both games, the Celtics had a 20-point lead but saw that evaporate as they got away from what had given them the lead. They played lackadaisically, settled for a ton of threes, and missed a ton as well.

Boston's bread and butter is their three-point shot. They are almost unbeatable when they are firing on all cylinders from beyond the arc. They are very predictable and easy to beat when they are coming up short.

They have one knockout move, and in the series vs. the Knicks, it missed more than it landed.

James knows the game of basketball better than anyone. While James would rather be on the court than talking on his podcast, it's nice to see him provide insight into the game.

The 40-year-old superstar is still undecided about his basketball future.

More Lakers news: Lakers' LeBron James Admits to Hearing Fans' Frustrations About NBA

Lakers' Dorian Finney-Smith Seemingly Hints at Free Agency Plans

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.