The Los Angeles Lakers may finally be close to getting their leader back. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, LeBron James has officially been cleared for contact basketball activities and will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks. The next step in his recovery process will be ramping up to full 5-on-5 action, a major sign that his long-awaited season debut is on the horizon.
LeBron has yet to play this season after being diagnosed with a sciatica issue early in training camp. The injury limited his participation in team activities and forced him to sit out the preseason, marking one of the few times in his career he’s entered a season without a proper buildup. Now in his 23rd NBA season, turning 41 in December, the Lakers are understandably taking a cautious approach with his return.
Charania reported that LeBron is unlikely to travel with the team during their upcoming five-game road trip, allowing him to continue rehabilitation and ramp-up work in Los Angeles. That timeline suggests his first game back could come on November 18th against the Utah Jazz, when the Lakers return home.
Despite LeBron’s absence, Los Angeles has been one of the hottest teams in basketball. They’ve started the year 7-2 and are currently riding a five-game winning streak, thanks largely to the spectacular play of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Over the past five games, Doncic has averaged 40.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 9.2 assists, while Reaves has added 31.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 9.3 assists. Together, they’ve carried the offensive load and turned the Lakers into a dynamic unit that’s thriving under JJ Redick’s balanced system.
For LeBron, this is unfamiliar territory, watching his team dominate without him. But it also presents an ideal scenario for the Lakers to ease him back in. With Doncic orchestrating the offense and Reaves flourishing as a secondary playmaker, LeBron won’t have to shoulder the same workload he’s carried for two decades.
Given his legendary conditioning and preparation, LeBron is expected to regain rhythm quickly once he returns to game action. Still, expect his minutes to be carefully managed early on.
The Lakers already look dangerous, but once LeBron rejoins this version of the team, with Luka and Reaves in midseason form, the ceiling could be frighteningly high. If this start is any indication, Los Angeles might be building something special, and the return of LeBron James could be the spark that takes them from great to unstoppable.
