After leaving midway through the fourth quarter against the Celtics on Saturday, Lakers fans are patiently waiting for the return of LeBron James – but not everyone is convinced he’ll come back this season. According to Charles Barkley, the King is shutting it down for the foreseeable future and will leave the Lakers on their own to play through the rest of the schedule.
“LeBron is probably out for the rest of the season,” said Barkley. “I don’t see him coming back. He stayed in New York cause it’s New York and he didn’t want to go to Milwaukee because it’s Milwaukee. It has got nothing to do with elevation or any of that stuff.”
James, 40, was on a tear before his recent injury. With averages of 25.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game this season, he’s been a huge part of their success and they’ll need him to have any chance of a long playoff run. According to Barkley, however, James is done for the time being and will forgo this season in order to get himself right for the 2025-26 campaign.
Barkley failed to provide any evidence for his theory, but it’s no secret that LeBron James often takes drastic measures to ensure his health. If he feels he’s compromised in any way, shutting it down for the season may be the best way to extend his timeline with Luka Doncic.
LeBron might also opt not to return if he feels this season is a lost cause. The Lakers have lost three straight games and there are questions about how they’ll hold up against teams like the Thunder, Nuggets, and Warriors in the West.
The official diagnosis for LeBron James is a groin strain, which is an injury he’s handled before. The injury would normally take one or two weeks to heal, but the Lakers cautioned that LeBron could miss extended time to ensure he was at full strength for the playoffs.
Interestingly, James traveled with the team to New York and he could be seen on the sidelines against the Knicks and Nets just a few days ago. It wasn’t until the Lakers traveled to face the Bucks that LeBron opted to head back home. The official explanation was to seek further treatment for his injury, but Barkley says it’s because he didn’t want to be in Milwaukee.
Unfortunately for Barkley, LeBron is already progressing from his injury and there are signs that he’s preparing to take the court soon. James, along with Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes, is considered day-to-day for the Lakers and is expected to return within a week.
For now, against the Nuggets tonight at Ball Arena, the Lakers will just have to hold it down. Without LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Gabe Vincent, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Maxi Kleber, the Lakers are down four starters but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
With Luka Doncic, the Lakers have the next 10 years to compete for a championship and they can afford to be patient and cautious with their approach. As James nears the end of his career, we know he will do anything he can to keep playing at his peak performance, but it doesn’t mean he’s abandoned this season.
With Luka Doncic, LeBron knows the Lakers have a chance to win and he’s going to fight to get healthy again and rejoin his team in the championship pursuit.
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