LeBron James will miss the beginning of the 2025–26 NBA season after being dominated out for as much as 4 weeks with sciatica, the Los Angeles Lakers have confirmed.
The 40-year-old veteran signed a brand new contract with the Lakers in June and is ready to turn out to be the primary participant in historical past to compete throughout 23 separate NBA seasons.
However this newest setback will delay that milestone, conserving him off the court docket via October and may have him sitting out his first opening night time of his profession.
He missed the crew’s defeats towards the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns earlier this month resulting from what the crew described as “glute nerve irritation.”
The four-time NBA champion is anticipated to be out for all 5 of the Lakers’ October video games, together with their season opener towards Golden State, in accordance with the Lakers’ medical workers.
“James has not taken half in preseason coaching and continues to obtain remedy for the nerve problem,” the crew stated in a press release reported by BBC.
This marks unfamiliar territory for the NBA’s all-time main scorer.
In his 22-year profession, James has by no means beforehand missed the beginning of an everyday season. His sturdiness has lengthy been a degree of pleasure, and a key to his longevity.
James at present sits on 1,562 profession regular-season appearances, simply 50 shy of breaking former Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish’s all-time report.
Final season, James featured in 70 of the Lakers’ 82 video games, averaging 24.4 factors, 8.2 assists, and seven.8 rebounds per sport, ending sixth within the MVP voting. Regardless of his particular person success, the Lakers exited the 2024–25 playoffs within the first spherical after a 4–1 collection loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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