The start of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James’ 23rd NBA season will be delayed. James will miss the next three-to-four weeks due to sciatica in his right side, the Lakers announced.
The issue will prevent James from playing on opening night against the Golden State Warriors.
James’ injury timetable could result in him missing additional games. If he’s re-evaluated and cleared exactly three weeks from Thursday, James would miss four more games before returning to play against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 31. If the injury requires more time to heal, or James needs a few days to get back up to speed, he’s at risk of missing even more time as he recovers from the injury.
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It’s a disappointing development for James, who reportedly had a goal of playing on opening night as recently as Tuesday. James has been sidelined with what the team deemed “nerve irritation in his glute” since the start of training camp. The issue either didn’t improve, or got worse, ahead of Thursday’s announcement.
Despite his age, James has been remarkably healthy over his career. While he has missed some time with the Lakers, James was able to play in 141 games with the team over the past two seasons. His career low in games played in a single season — discounting the COVID-19 year — is 55. James has been limited to that figure twice in his career, both seasons coming with the Lakers.
When healthy, James has still proven to be an effective player on the court. Last season, he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds. He and Luka Dončić helped lead Los Angeles to the playoffs, where the team lost in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With James sidelined to start the 2025-26 NBA season, Dončić will look to carry an even bigger load early in the schedule.
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