Getty LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
LeBron James returned to the Los Angeles Lakers‘ lineup against the New York Knicks after missing five games with a left knee injury. The four-time MVP played 40 minutes and finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 13-of-24 from the field, 2-of-7 from beyond the arc and 1-of-2 from the free-throw line in the Lakers’ overtime win.
40 minutes is a lot for a player who is 37, in his 19th season and dealing with a knee injury. So when LeBron met with reporters a day before the Lakers host the Milwaukee Bucks, he was asked to give an update on his knee after playing so many minutes versus the Knicks.
LeBron Feels ‘Pretty Good’
LeBron told reporters that he’s still receiving “around-the-clock treatment” on his left knee. The recovery plan the Lakers and the King have put in place seems to be working, as LeBron told reporters he’s feeling “pretty good” after playing 40 minutes against the Knickerbockers.
“Obviously yesterday was like around-the-clock treatment and rest, as much rest as I can get,” LeBron said, via Corey Hansford of LakersNation.com. “And today will be the same thing. Obviously I feel pretty good today, looking forward to how I feel tomorrow and go from there. But I don’t think I have a setback and I just want to try to continue to keep the treatment and the rehab and things I’ve been doing over the last couple weeks to get back on the floor, so I’m gonna continue that over the next 24 hours.”
LeBron has appeared in 37 games this season. The four-time champion is averaging 29.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists and has scored at least 25 points in 19 consecutive games.
Before playing against the Knicks, LeBron last saw action on January 25 versus the Brooklyn Nets. LBJ went off for 33 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes, leading the Lakers to a huge road win. Things were looking good for the purple gold, who got Anthony Davis back after a 17-game absence due to a knee injury and had LeBron playing at an MVP level.
However, things took a turn for the worse on January 27 when the Lakers were in Philadelphia.
LeBron Woke up in Philadelphia with Knee Pain
LeBron’s left knee was a “total wreck” when he woke up in his hotel room in Philadelphia. He was frustrated that he had to miss five games since Davis was finally back in the lineup.
“Very frustrating obviously because the game that we had in Brooklyn, it was AD’s first game and I felt like it was a small dosage of what we could possibly see with the potential of our team and everybody getting back healthy,” LeBron said. “And then I wake up the morning of the Philly game and my knee is just a total wreck. It was just very disheartening to not be able to close out that trip after having started the trip 2-1. I feel like that was a big trip for us and me not being in those last three games, it hurt.”
It appears LeBron will have to manage his left knee for the rest of the season. The four-time Finals MVP would certainly benefit from some rest days here and there, but the Lakers can’t function properly without him. Their offensive rating drops by 8.2 points when the Akron Hammer isn’t playing.