LeBron James’ injury situation might be worse than expected. According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Lakers star has been dealing with his right-side nerve issue since late July, meaning the problem has persisted for more than two months and continues to limit his availability.
“This injury for LeBron, this nerve issue, first occurred in late July during an on-court workout,” said Charania. “It’s now two and a half months and counting that he has been dealing with it and managing it. So even before the Lakers’ media day on September 29th and the start of training camp, I’m told LeBron James had not done much basketball for well over a month before that. So it hasn’t been a normal, routine summer for him. For him to be out to start the season shows an admission by him and the Lakers that he needs more time to ramp up and get into basketball shape.”
LeBron is a creature of habit, and he has a routine he falls into every single offseason. Typically, while James will take plenty of time to rest and recover his body, he’ll also be in the gym and on the court, honing his craft and keeping his body in shape for the next season. Now is typically the time where LeBron would be ramping up, using the preseason as a way to ease his body into full-time action.
This summer, however, James will have to adjust his approach. As he deals with a lingering nerve issue, LeBron is set to miss opening night for the first time in his career. The official timetable is three to four weeks, meaning that LeBron may not take the court until early November. What’s worse is that LeBron has been dealing with his since July, suggesting that his entire offseason routine has been completely interrupted.
At 40 years old, going into his 23rd season, this is hardly a favorable development for LeBron. An injury like this so early on in the season is a bad sign of his durability and it could set him back for months into the season. At the very least, it signals the start of a new era for the Lakers, one that involves leaning more on the young guys over LeBron James, whose availability cannot be trusted.
Fortunately, it’s not all bad for Los Angeles. As bad as LeBron’s injury is, it isn’t actually anything serious and should not have any long-term impact on his play. Plus, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Lakers still have enough firepower to stay afloat without him. In fact, James’ early absence will provide an opportunity for another role-player to step up and rise above his station.
Ultimately, only time will tell how this injury heals, but the Lakers will need LeBron James at his best to have any chance of winning the West. With averages of 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game last season, James can clearly still deliver at a high level, and going with the safe and cautious approach makes sense, even if it means giving up some regular-season wins in the process.
