Los Angeles Lakers’ bad season may have gotten worse.
LeBron James was seen breaking into court during the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. A minute later, the Lakers announced that James would not return due to the sore left leg.
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham did not give much clarity after the game, telling reporters that James was dealing with leg discomfort and that he would be more evaluated by medical staff. But LeBron said he felt something in his thread and that on Thursday he would imagine himself a doctor.
Although even a little bit of clothing and tear is not exactly what the Lakers want to see with James early in the season, not when it is increasingly seen that it will take another incredible effort from him to put them back in the realm of respectability.
James also hurt his left foot, missing Monday’s loss to Utah Jazz.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham did not give a word on the situation when he addressed the media after the team’s 114-101 loss. ” We have to let him see our medical staff first,” he said. James missed Monday’s loss to Utah Jazz due to pain in his left foot, but returned Wednesday and played well. In 32 minutes, he finished with 30 points, eight rebounds and five passes.
James missed a significant amount of time during the 2018-19 season due to a groin injury he suffered during the Christmas game against the Golden State Warriors. When asked how he felt after Wednesday’s game, he called it “damage,” but he also said it was “not as bad” as what happened four years ago.
While James, 37, has recovered to remain largely healthy during the 2019-20 championship season but has since been injured. In 2021, Atlanta Hawks forward Solomon Hill plunged into his leg, causing him to miss almost two months with a sprained ankle. He wasn’t the same when he got back, and the Lakers lost in the first round to the Phoenix Suns. Last season, he missed games because of various injuries.
The Lakers are among the worst teams in the NBA, even when James is in the fold. If he is forced to miss a significant period, any hope of the postseason would essentially be over. For those looking for a silver lining who think this might be a hidden blessing given the foresight of a rich 2023 design class, think again. The New Orleans Pelicans have the right to exchange first round with the Lakers thanks to the trade with Anthony Davis, and the Lakers cannot exchange James for a rival because the extension he signed in August prohibits any such deal for six months.
In other words, things may have just gotten worse from quite bad to clearly worse.
