LeBron James went from hero to heartbreak in just 24 hours. One night after sinking a game-winning buzzer-beater against the Pacers, he watched helplessly as Josh Giddey pulled off the same magic—but this time, at the Lakers’ expense.

The Lakers had it. Up five with just 10 seconds left, all they had to do was close it out. But instead? A collapse for the ages. The Bulls stormed back, and with the game tied, Giddey launched a halfcourt prayer at the buzzer… and it dropped. Just like that, the Lakers let a sure win slip through their fingers, and Giddey delivered the final dagger.

The unraveling began when Patrick Williams buried a clutch three from the corner, trimming the gap to two. All the Lakers had to do was inbound cleanly and take the inevitable foul. But LeBron pass lacked zip, leading to a nightmare sequence. Giddey pounced on the loose ball, kicked it to a wide-open Coby White, and boom—another three. Just like that, the Lakers’ lead was gone.

Six seconds. That’s all it took for the Bulls to flip the game on its head, grabbing a 116-115 lead out of nowhere. The Lakers still had a chance to steal it back. Austin Reaves found a gap, attacked the rim, and put L.A. back in front. With just 3.3 seconds left and no timeouts, the Bulls had one final shot.

And somehow, nobody picked up Giddey. He took the inbounds pass, strolled past halfcourt, and let it fly. LeBron closed in, but it was too late. The ball dropped through the net, and the United Center exploded.

After the game, the 21x All-Star didn’t shy away from taking responsibility for the late-game collapse.

“Uh, I mean, we put ourselves in a position to win,” James said. “I gave up a lot of threes in the fourth quarter. Um, I still put ourselves in a position to win, horrible turnover by myself. That means miscommunication. AR still had a big bucket trying to save us. And then they tip us off and gonna make some game-winner from half court,” James said, shaking his head and looking dejected.

After taking full responsibility for the late-game blunder, LeBron James quickly shifted his focus to what comes next. Instead of dwelling on the heartbreaking loss, the four-time champion made it clear that the Lakers have no time to sulk. With another game looming, he laid out exactly how the team should respond.

When asked how to process such a gut-wrenching defeat, the 4x MVP kept it simple. “Uh, there’s another game in two days, less than two days. That’s how you do it,” he stated.

The message was clear—move forward. A reporter followed up, questioning how the Lakers could avoid carrying Thursday’s emotions into their next matchup. Once again, James reiterated the harsh reality of life in the NBA.

“Oh, that’s the NBA,” he said. “That’s the NBA, you can’t—you can’t go into a game on Saturday thinking about what happened on Thursday.”

With playoff positioning at stake, the Lakers have no choice but to adopt LeBron’s mindset. Dwelling on mistakes won’t change the standings, but bouncing back will. However, bouncing back isn’t just about mentality—it’s also about fixing weaknesses. And one glaring issue? The Lakers’ lack of a true center.

The Lakers eye Nets’ center to strengthen the star duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic

The Lakers couldn’t capitalize on their momentum from a big win over the Pacers, stumbling against the Bulls in yet another frustrating loss. That makes it four losses in their last five outings, shining a spotlight on a major issue—they need more frontcourt help. LeBron James and Luka Doncic can only do so much, and without a reliable big man, L.A. is vulnerable.

Enter Brooklyn Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe. The 6’9″ forward/center hybrid is having a breakout season, averaging 7.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.8 blocks per game in limited minutes. He brings mobility, energy, and toughness—exactly what the Lakers are missing inside.

Brooklyn, though, already has big money tied up in starting center Nicolas Claxton, who’s set to earn $25.4 million next season. That could make it tricky for them to retain Sharpe if other teams come calling. As Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus explained, “Sharpe can be a restricted free agent if the Nets give him a qualifying offer… However, Sharpe may have multiple suitors willing to give Brooklyn pause.”

With other teams likely circling, the Lakers will need to move fast if they see Sharpe as a solution. The real question is—does he fit the bill for what L.A. needs?