The Los Angeles Lakers announced on March 2 that superstar small forward LeBron James has a right foot tendon injury and will be re-evaluated in approximately three weeks. The four-time MVP suffered the injury on February 26 against the Dallas Mavericks.
James is currently in a walking boot and there may be a chance he misses more than three weeks, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.
“Three-week evaluation, re-evaluation for him, and even after that, I don’t know if the Lakers think he’s gonna be back in three weeks,” Charania said on March 6. “I don’t think it’ll be just the three weeks. Likely beyond that. And so you put yourself in a position where you hope that he’s back right before the playoffs or he gets back for the play-in.”
.@ShamsCharania says the #Lakers will re-evaluate LeBron James in 3 weeks, with “hope that he’s back right before the playoffs” 😬
The Lakers’ last game of the regular season is on April 9 versus the Utah Jazz. The purple and gold are currently in 11th place in the Western Conference standings. The top six seeds automatically make the playoffs, while seeds 7-10 make the play-in tournament.
James, 38, is averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists this season while shooting 50.1% from the floor, 30.8% from 3 and 75.9% from the free-throw line. The Lakers hope that the four-time Finals MVP can return before the regular season ends, sources told Heavy Sports.
LeBron James Won’t Need Surgery
Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report reported on March 2 that James won’t require surgery on his injured foot. LeBron, who became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer this season, has never undergone surgery during his legendary career.
“So what I can say on LeBron is that sources did inform me that he will not require surgery,” Haynes said on Episode 12 of his “#thisleague UNCUT” podcast with Marc Stein. “That’s good news for the Lakers. So right now, it’s all about time and the rehabbing process.”
After James hurt his foot versus the Mavericks, he told his teammates that he heard a “pop.” The Lakers have gone 2-2 since the King went down. They defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors and lost to the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Anthony Davis Doesn’t Want LeBron James to Rush Back
After the Lakers lost to the Grizzlies on February 28, Anthony Davis sent a strong message to James. AD told reporters that he doesn’t want the Akron Hammer to rush back from his right foot injury.
“What I don’t want is him to rush back really early. …I want him to get completely right and healthy before he steps on the floor,” Davis said. “Like I said, it’s on us, other guys in this locker room, to step up and continue to win basketball games.”
Davis is averaging 33.8 points and 11.8 rebounds over his last four games. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has been impressed with how the big man has played lately.
“He’s in a very great place right now,” Ham said after the Lakers defeated the Warriors on March 5. “He has an unwillingness to settle and is staying in attack mode. He’s playing pain-free and with great rhythm. We also have different pieces around him he can play off at a high level.”
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Lakers Receive Crucial LeBron James Injury Update: Report