LeBron James had another milestone night, etching his name even deeper into NBA history. The Lakers superstar racked up 34 points while becoming the first player ever to reach 50,000 combined points between the regular season and playoffs. Meanwhile, Los Angeles continued its hottest run in four years, steamrolling the Pelicans 136-115 for their seventh straight win. But that wasn’t his only achievement of the night. He did something which prompted a unique reaction from his coach JJ Redick.

Midway through the third quarter, LeBron soared for a running alley-oop slam, courtesy of a perfectly placed lob from Dalton Knecht. Later on, LeBron tried to return the favor to the rookie—who was almost shipped out at the deadline—but instead of a highlight-reel finish, his pass missed the mark, ending in a turnover.

A head coach would get mad, but not JJ Redick—at least not this time. “I think, I think too, you know, the Dalton and the LeBron dunk and then LeBron trying to alley-oop back to him,” Redick said.

“Um, I laughed, I laughed. It was one of the few turnovers I think all season that I’ve laughed on, but I like the intent. I like the intent,” he further explained.

For the 40-year-old coach, who has preached discipline and execution all season, laughing at a mistake was a rare sight. But in this case, the effort and chemistry between the veteran and the rookie made it a moment worth appreciating. But that was only one of the examples of core values Redick preaches, which is respect.

The other one? Trust. It was on display, too. Knecht went up for a fastbreak dunk early in the 3rd quarter, but Bruce Brown hit his shoulder mid-air, sending him crashing down. Luka Doncic rushed over and shoved Brown’s hands away, escalating tensions. Jarred Vanderbilt stepped in aggressively, but Redick pulled him back. After review, the Pelicans star got a flagrant 1, with techs on him and Vanderbilt—fouls that also came with automatic fines.

After the match, the Lakers boss explained how this incident fits in his other core value of trust. “It fits right in with it. I think two of those values that we value, we emphasize, are trust and respect,” Redick said.“And I think having your teammates’ back builds trust, and showing a level of respect to your teammate when they’re down and going in there and getting in this scrum is great.”

For Redick, the team’s reaction wasn’t just about standing up for a teammate—it was about reinforcing the culture he’s instilling in Los Angeles. That mindset of trust and accountability extends beyond individual moments and directly ties into the team’s recent success.

A prime example? ‘The King,’ who continues to set the tone for the Lakers with his leadership and dominant play.

LeBron James believes Lakers defense is what’s making them win

LeBron James refuses to slow down. The 40-year-old Lakers star was named Western Conference Player of the Month for February, proving yet again that time has nothing on him. Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell took home the honor in the East, and Austin Reaves was also in the mix as a nominee.

The 4x MVP didn’t just show up—he dominated. Playing in 11 of 12 games, he led the Lakers to a 10-2 record, putting up 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. His efficiency was ridiculous—55.5% shooting from the field and 44.3% from three.

But it’s not just about the buckets. The 21x All-Star has been a defensive anchor, and even head coach JJ Redick believes he’s earned an All-NBA Defensive Team nod. The Lakers have locked in on that end, holding seven straight opponents to 102 points or fewer.

This isn’t new territory for LeBron—he’s won Player of the Month 41 times, the most in NBA history. It’s his third with the Lakers, the last two coming in early 2020, the same season they won the title.

James summed up the Lakers’ defensive mindset perfectly:

“That’s just us. I mean, it is who we are at this point. We hang our hat on our defense.”

And with Doncic settling in, the offense is catching up. If they keep defending like this, the rest of the league better watch out.