At first glance, the Los Angeles Lakers’ win–loss record looks respectable. But beneath the surface lies a troubling detail that has analysts raising the alarm: every loss this season has been by double digits. This stark statistic has reignited debate around what some experts describe as a “white flag culture”—a tendency to wave the white flag once games start slipping away.
According to widely cited analysis, the issue goes beyond tactics or personnel and cuts into mentality and on-court habits. The phrase “roll-over-and-die habit” has surfaced in discussions to describe how the Lakers often collapse quickly instead of mounting sustained comebacks. What makes the conversation even more controversial is the claim that this pattern is directly linked to the team’s two biggest stars.
NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports has pointed out that over the past 2.5 years, LeBron James and Luka Dončić rank among the top All-Stars in blowout-loss percentage. His assessment suggests that when games “go south,” both stars have a tendency to “check out”—a drop in defensive intensity and emotional engagement that makes it difficult for the team to fight back.
This criticism strikes at the heart of the Lakers’ identity as a supposed championship contender. Historically, elite teams are defined by their resilience—the ability to stay competitive even when trailing by double digits, turning potential blowouts into narrow defeats or dramatic comebacks. This season, however, the Lakers have often appeared fragile. Once opponents establish a comfortable lead, the game frequently feels out of reach.
Of course, the blame cannot rest solely on the shoulders of the stars. The Lakers still face clear structural issues: inconsistent wing defense, breakdowns in help coverage, and a lack of depth that makes it difficult to sustain pressure for a full 48 minutes. Yet when the leaders on the floor fail to set the tone, the signal to surrender spreads quickly throughout the lineup.
That reality is what fuels concerns about a developing “white flag culture.” When body language turns negative and defensive effort drops, deficits balloon rapidly. What begins as a manageable gap soon turns into another double-digit loss, reinforcing the narrative that the Lakers struggle mentally as much as they do tactically when adversity hits.
The pressing question now is whether the Lakers can break free from this pattern. Doing so will require more than lineup tweaks or schematic adjustments. It demands a reset of competitive mindset—a belief that falling behind does not equal defeat. If the Lakers fail to reclaim that edge, blowout losses will continue to define their season, casting a long shadow over every victory as the postseason approaches.
