The Los Angeles Lakers boast two of the biggest stars in the sport, LeBron James and Luka Donćič. According to Lakers head coach JJ Redick, this star power has turned the Lakers into a team that opponents eagerly anticipate facing. Throughout the 2024-25 season, Lakers fans have fervently defended a conspiracy theory on social media suggesting that injured players often time their return against the Lakers.
This conversation resurfaced on social media ahead of the Lakers’ match against the Memphis Grizzlies, who have been missing star point guard Ja Morant for the last two weeks due to a hamstring injury. As expected, Morant was listed as a game-time decision and ultimately took to the court on Saturday. Redick mentioned that he had his analytics team examine this phenomenon, indicating that he anticipated Morant’s return.
While some dismiss the theory as mere coincidence, Redick asserts that data supports its validity, stating, “I think it’s like 86% of [opposing] payroll has been available to [play] us this year, which is by far No. 1 in the league,” during a conversation with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
JJ Redick said the Lakers’ analytics dept looked into the internet fan theory that opposing team players suddenly get healthy when it’s time to play L.A. “I think it’s like 86% of [opposing] payroll has been available to [play] us this year, which is by far No. 1 in the league”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 29, 2025
This isn’t the first time a Lakers player has addressed this theory. Luka Donćič commented on it after a game against the Los Angeles Clippers earlier in March. He noted that when Norman Powell returned from an extended injury, he was convinced that teams gear up to play against the Lakers. “I didn’t believe it before, but I think so,” said Donćič. “They say somebody is out for a long time, and then they play against the Lakers. I didn’t believe it for a long time, but it’s Lakers, so that’s normal.”
Fans who support this theory received additional affirmation during Saturday’s game, as Morant did indeed make his return from injury.
