When it comes to the Purple and Gold, they will only go as far as LeBron James takes them. The 36-year-old star, who is in his 18th season, remains as one of the league’s premier players, and the biggest reason for L.A.’s recent success.
Unfortunately, James is currently out with an ankle injury, one that he has been trying to recover from for weeks now. With the days of his absence adding up, many are questioning the seriousness of the injury and if we can expect Bron to be himself when the postseason arrives.
In a recent chat with USA Today, a panel of medical experts analyzed the st=ituation with James, and how it will affect his play going forward.
“I expect when he completely heals, he should be just like who he was before he got hurt,” said Dr. David Geier, an orthopedic surgeon, sports medicine specialist and author of ‘That’s Gotta Hurt: The injuries that changed sports forever.’ “So short term, bad news. Long term, good news.”
Judging by the words by the docs, Bron shouldn’t have any lasting effects.
“In the long run, players can usually come back and can eventually get back to their previous level of activity,” said Dr. Jonathan Kaplan, a foot and ankle surgeon with the Hoag Orthopedic Institute. “It’s not like an Achilles rupture where we would worry they may not be the same player. So with a high ankle sprain, I’m strongly optimistic he can get back and be highly skilled and talented to his previous level.”
This is, obviously, great news for the Lakers. Without LeBron, it would be almost impossible for the Lakers to get out of the West. But with him at full strength, they have just as much a chance as anyone.
It will be interesting to see if they can pull it off this year and win a title for the second time in a row.
