LeBron James won’t be available for the start of Lakers training camp.
Head coach JJ Redick announced Tuesday that James is dealing with “nerve irritation in the glute” and will have a slow ramp-up to the regular season.
“Nerve irritation in the glute” doesn’t come with a boilerplate prognosis. From Redick’s explanation, it doesn’t sound like a significant concern. But for a 40-year-old, 23rd-year NBA veteran with more mileage on his body than most anyone in the history of professional sports, any ailment comes with concern.
Hence, the slower ramp-up for James in training camp.
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“It’s probably a little bit longer of a ramp-up leading up to opening night for him,” Redick told reporters at practice on Tuesday. “In year 23, uncharted territory here.”
Redick then acknowledged that the Lakers might not have optimally managed James’ reps last preseason.
“I felt in talking with performance and talking with [trainer Mike Mancias] and LeBron, he probably did too much last year in camp. Which was great for me as a first-year head coach to get buy-in from him.
“But it will be a slower process with him leading into the first game. He’s obviously got 22 years so far of wear and tear on his body. He’s dealing with a little bit of nerve irritation in the glute. We’re playing the long game with LeBron.”
James had a relatively healthy regular season in 2024-25 while playing in 70 of the Lakers’ 82 games. It was his second-highest game tally since playing a full 82-game season for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2018-19 season.
But his injuries were high profile. Foot and ankle soreness kept James out of the All-Star Game after he’d played in 20 straight. He suffered a sprained MCL in a Game 5 playoff loss to the Timberwolves that would have sidelined him for multiple weeks had the Lakers not been eliminated with the loss.
The Lakers are hoping James can stay relatively healthy for a run at a title playing alongside Luka Dončić in what could be his last NBA season. Limiting wear and tear during training camp would likely be the call whether or not James was dealing with an injury.
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