Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James made a blunt admission on the defending champion Boston Celtics ahead of their January 23 matchup.

LeBron James made it clear that the Los Angeles Lakers have a lot of work to do before they can consider themselves on the level of the Boston Celtics.

Needless to say, the Lakers will face a huge challenge when they host the defending NBA champion Celtics on Thursday.

The NBA trade deadline is in 15 days and the Los Angeles Lakers continue to be mired in mediocrity.At 23-18, the Lakers enter Wednesday in sixth place in the Western Conference and just one game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks (23-20) for the final non-Play-In Tournament spot in the playoff picture.

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to take on the lowly Washington Wizards in what will be their second-to-last home game before they embark on a six-game road trip. The Lakers will look for their 23rd win of the season and their 15th in front of their home crowd.