LeBron James officially played his first regular NBA game with the Los Angeles Lakers although it didn't really start out on the right foot. For the first time in his career, the NBA star finds himself with a team that pundits don't actually see going all the way to the NBA Finals.

Regardless, James is fully aware of what he can do and where he is at right now. While he did start out strong, the Lakers simply found it difficult to contain the explosive Portland Trail Blazers duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, losing 119-128.

And as one would guess, the media sharks had a field day throwing questions at the "King" and hoped to get something special. His response was nothing out of the ordinary, reminding the people to present that the Lakers are still trying to find the right chemistry. The best way, in his words, to describe it is comparing the club to oatmeal, ESPN said.

"I always kind of compare it to like instant oatmeal. It is not that fast. It takes a while to get to where you can close your eyes and know exactly where your guys are."

James didn't have a bad night. He finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and six assists against the Blazers. There were six other Lakers who scored in double-digits, a good sign that their team will eventually gain ground.

Also, the first game of the season does not entirely tell the plight of the Lakers or any team. The true potential of any team is likely to come out somewhere in the middle part of the season. This is also the point where coaches and team management would assess their current roster and figure out if personnel changes are needed.

It seems like a long season ahead for the Lakers with all eyes on them. Nevertheless, James and his troops are approaching their first season positively, approaching each game like a champion, ABC 30 said.

"Obviously there's only one champion at the end of the road, and you can't dictate wins and losses, things of that nature, but you can approach every day like a champion. And if you do that, you put yourself in a position to be successful. Either individually or as a team, or whatever the case is."

If one is to look at James' past, his debut didn't necessarily go smoothly. It took him and his teammates time to jell before everything fell into place. A notable difference is that he does not have fellow all-stars this time around with the Lakers saving that for next season.

So how far can LeBron bring this young core for the 2018-19 NBA season? All that should be answered as the season progresses.