The Lakers announced on Wednesday morning that LeBron James, after playing in Tuesday’s win over the Pelicans on Tuesday, would be questionable heading into that night, when the team would take on the Spurs in an odd, two-game, back-to-back road trip. James, technically, is dealing with a foot and sciatica issues, but he told reporters there is more to it than that.
James is old. Old enough, and with enough miles on his tires in the midst of his 23rd season that he warrants taking a night off on the second leg of a back-to-back. James made that clear when asked about whether he would play or not against San Antonio.
“You know that, what you gotta ask for?” James said. “I’m 41 years old. Every back-to-back is TBD. Every back-to-back for the rest of the season is TBD. I am 41, I got the most minutes in NBA history—bank it right now, OK? What are we talking about?”
LeBron James Averaging 21.7 points at 41 Years Old
James was reminded that he rarely looks 41, as he has been a starter for the Lakers, averaging 33.3 minutes, scoring 21.7 points to go with 6.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds. He posted a vintage line on Tuesday, when he scored 30 points on 10-for-18 shooting, and eight rebounds and eight assists.
It was suggested to James that he does not look 41. “But I am,” he said.
James has been on a nifty run since the calendar turned over to 2026. It’s a small sample size–three games–but he has averaged 29.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists on 58.8% shooting in that span, and the Lakers have gone 3-0.
If he does, indeed, sit out of the Lakers’ back-to-backs going forward, James could potentially miss eight more games–two more in January, two in February, three in March and one in April.
Lakers Making Things Work Around Luka Doncic
James has been getting more philosophical lately as it has become possible that his time with the Lakers might be running short–either through his own decision to retire or perhaps finishing his career elsewhere and letting the Lakers get on with the task of building around younger superstar Luka Doncic.
Maybe that will come to pass, but James was clear on Tuesday that when it comes to this version of the team, Doncic should be the focal point.
“Luka [Doncic] don’t need to bend his game [for me],” James said. “Luka is our [26-year-old] franchise for this ballclub. He don’t need to bend his game. It’s up to us to bend our game around him and figure it out.
“We just try to be dynamic and work off of him. We know he is an unbelievable pick-and-roll player, unbelievable shot-maker. He commands the defense. He has four eyes, sometimes six eyes on him. So, it’s up to us to put ourselves in the right position. … It’s not a problem for me; it’s not an issue for me.”
Lakers’ LeBron James Decision vs. Spurs Sets Up Back-to-Back Issue