The Los Angeles Lakers have all the talent in the world, but they can only go as far as LeBron James takes them.
Even in year 19, the King remains one of the top players in the league, and his value to the Lakers is absolutely unmatched.
Unfortunately, just 10 games in, James is already missing time with an abdominal strain, leaving the team to hold down the first until his return.
To make matters worse, James’ current absence could end up costing him months, according to an ex-Lakers strength coach.
The most insight into James’ injury so far came in the form of an Instagram post from the Lakers’ former head strength and conditioning coach, Tim DiFrancesco. Now the owner of TD Athlete’s Edge, a training and rehab operation near Boston, DiFrancesco explained in a post Saturday morning that the injury is one that can occur with the overextension of the torso combined with extreme force — such as a powerful serve in tennis or a tomahawk dunk in basketball.
Recovery time? Four to eight weeks for even a minor strain, according to DiFrancesco.
Going two months without LeBron would be troublesome for a Lakers squad that has struggled through the first chunk of this season.
Of course, DiFrancesco admitted he could be proven very wrong.
Absolutely! I’m expecting to be proven wrong here. As I stated in the article, I’m not privy to the grade of this case. I’m speaking across grades and what to expect depending on what grade it is. My hope is that he is dealing w/ a basic grade 1 and he’s back in action soon.
With the way James takes care of his body, he’s capable of overcoming any injury, even at 36-years-old.
Still, the cracks are starting to show and all of Lakers Nation is holding their breath as they await word on the status of their biggest star.
