Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James participated in his record-breaking 20th All-Star Game this weekend in Indianapolis. A lot of headlines centered around him as he spoke candidly about his future in Los Angeles and that his career is nearing its end.
However, the biggest news was about his health, as the ankle injury he is nursing may be worse than originally thought. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, there is a chance that James will not be ready to go out of the NBA All-Star Break for regular season games.
According to McMenamin, James said that the treatment is set to undergo on his left ankle this week could possibly keep him out of the Lakers’ game on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. That would be a tough blow for Los Angeles, as James sat out the team’s final game before the break against the Utah Jazz as well.
James did participate in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday evening but only played in the first half. He didn’t return to the lineup in the second half and attempting to manage his ankle injury was probably the reason why.
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Participating in an exhibition while potentially not being healthy enough to play in regular season games will likely draw the ire of many people. Fans will be annoyed he suited up but can’t play when the games matter and the Lakers may question why he partook as well, especially if the injury turns into something behind a game or two.
To this point, James has done a good job of staying on the court and navigating any health issues. He has played in 49 out of 56 games to this point of the season and remains a force when on the court.
This season, he is averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 34.9 minutes per game. If Los Angeles is going to make any noise during the 2024 NBA Playoffs, or even qualify for that matter, they are going to need James healthy and ready to go for the stretch run of the season.
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