Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James did not practice on the first day of the team’s training camp on Tuesday. James was dealing with nerve irritation in his glute and was one of four players to sit out for the Lakers. Not long after, though, the 40-year-old made an appearance on Kai Cenat’s stream, and his actions there raised eyebrows among fans.
😭😭😭 https://t.co/WqYXPrMUOW pic.twitter.com/48hwUD2ijN
— 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗶 (@itscontursii) September 30, 2025
James dancing around hours after sitting out of practice didn’t go down too well with fans on X, and they called him out.
“Bruh faked butt nerve issues to go on Kai’s stream lmfao,” a fan thinks James faked the injury to go on the stream.
“Faking an injury to go on a Kai Cenat stream? LeBron farewell tour starting,” one fan believes the farewell tour is beginning.
“I just know JJ Redick is pissed asf lmao,” a fan thinks Lakers head coach JJ Redick would be fuming.
“Bro probably submitted a fake doctor’s note,” one fan hilariously stated that James submitted a fake medical note.
“Lefabricator,” a fan had a new nickname for James.
This was just a minor injury at the end of the day, so this is a non-story. There is nothing wrong with James having a little bit of fun. He played some basketball on the stream, too, and had a hilarious excuse for having a bad shooting performance. He just wasn’t exerting himself too much there.
Redick also stated that James did a bit too much at camp last year, and they don’t want to overexert him this time around. The 21-time All-Star is entering uncharted territory, as he is set to become the first player to play in 23 seasons in the NBA.
James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Lakers in 2024-25. He remains one of the best players in the NBA today, but with his advanced age, it makes little sense to push him to train on the very first day of training camp when he is dealing with some discomfort.
LeBron James’ Camp Has Urged The Lakers To Take A Cautious Approach
Speaking of James’ decision to sit out of practice, it would appear we should expect the Lakers to be very cautious with him this season. NBA insider Dave McMenamin reported that his camp had a message for the team.
“I’m told that LeBron’s camp has spoken to the Lakers and they said ‘let’s be overly cautious’ with LeBron because we want to be looking to the long view here if this team’s going to be contending for a championship, we need LeBron in his best shape from April to June,” said McMenamin.
James, of course, had reportedly suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee in Game 5 of the Lakers’ first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. The Lakers stand little to no chance of winning a championship if he isn’t fully healthy in the postseason, so every decision they make with him has to be with the future in mind.
James played in 70 regular-season games in 2024-25, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if that number went down in 2025-26. The Lakers have Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to carry a significant load in the regular season, and they can afford to save James for the playoffs.
