On the heels of the news that LeBron James is in fact not retiring after teasing us all with a social media post that ended up being a business partnership, the Lakers superstar may be sidelined for a little while longer. James, who is dealing with a nerve irritation in his glute, will “likely” missed the entirety of the preseason, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
James has been sidelined since the start of the preseason with the same issue, but has been ramping up his workload, per Charania. However, the goal is for the four-time champion to be prepared for the first game of the regular season. The Lakers have four more preseason games before facing the Warriors to open the season on Oct. 21.
It’s not an ideal situation for James or the Lakers, but that’s the reality of the situation when you have a 40-year-old who is still a significant part of the team’s core. James has been prioritizing his health in the latter years of his career. Heading into preseason, coach JJ Redick said the Lakers would be much more cautious with James leading into the season.
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Despite entering Year 23, James is still performing at an elite level, an unprecedented fact given how many miles are on his body. But he’s also been no stranger to injuries over the last 5-6 years, dealing with a number of foot, ankle and calf issues that have sidelined him for chunks of time.
Taking the cautious approach is the reasonable solution, though if he won’t suit up until opening night it means he’ll have to play himself into some sort of rhythm without those preseason reps. If there’s any player who will be unaffected by not playing in the preseason it’s certainly James. But at his age it may take some time to knock off the rust.
This situation appears to be fluid, so there could still be a chance he gets a few minutes in L.A.’s final preseason game on Oct. 17. But if James’ injury requires him to miss some regular season time, too, then it would be a concerning turn of events for the Lakers.