After leaving Sunday’s loss early due to right ankle soreness, Lakers star LeBron James likely won’t return to action until at least next Sunday, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Wojnarowski, James is expected to miss Thursday’s game vs. the Clippers and Friday’s vs. Portland as he rests his troublesome ankle. LeBron, who also sat out Monday’s contest vs. Denver, missed 20 games due to a right high ankle sprain and had only been back for two games when he reaggravated the injury.
As Woj notes, the expectation is that the 36-year-old will proceed cautiously with his ankle, focusing on getting healthy for the postseason. James had suggested on Sunday night that he was prioritizing the playoffs over fighting for regular season seeding.
“It doesn’t matter at the end of the day (where the Lakers land in the standings) if I’m not 100% or close to 100%,” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
While LeBron’s stance makes sense, his ongoing absence will put the team at greater risk of losing its grip on a top-six seed in the West — a seventh-place finish would mean having to participate in at least one play-in game to secure a postseason spot. As we noted earlier today, Friday’s game in Portland is particularly important, since the Lakers and Blazers are neck-and-neck in the standings and Friday’s winner will gain a tiebreaker advantage.
Came back too soon. Load management will be necessary the rest of his career.
That gives him time to get back on twitter.
He is taking his talents back to the injured list.
He could take the rest of the year off, I would not miss him
Can’t say I was the biggest fan of Michael Jordan, but as far as I concerned, he was the greatest ever and he went about his business on the court and off the court, you didn’t hear a peep from him
Unlike James…
Where you asleep when Jordan played? ‘You didn’t hear a peep from him’? I love Jordan (even as a Knicks fan, I respected him) but lmao, ludicrous re-writing of history there.
A lot of revisionist history indeed going on here with Jordan RCT
Jordan fan as well, but find all this pretty hilarious….. Social media would have had a field day with Jordan’s litany of bad habits off the court these days
Jordan didn’t constantly opine about political issues, in fact he was criticized for not doing it enough.
Jordan had a gambling problem. I’m not judging him for that but the narrative that Jordan was a Saint while LeBron isn’t is just wrong.
Man, that Genghis Khan would never go on Twitter and talk about social justice. I just know he’d go 7 for 7 in the finals against this soft “modern” league, put up 60 with an ancient flu, and still have time to commit widespread genocide.
GOAT!
And lebron would not punch if that team mate did not follow lebron’s instructions well..
Except when he started fights with his teammates. I also never heard of his habitual gambling.
LAL-GSW 7/8 play in game would be a win for the fans at least.
Fully Healthy Lakers are better than today’s Warriors
If LeBron and Schroeder were injured to offset Warriors injury players, then Warriors would win
Lebron is just setting table for his inevitable failure this postseason if he makes it. Then after they lose, we will hear about how his injury was so bad and no one else would have came back from it.
Like the 2020 playoffs? Oh wait
More like in 2019 when he had his first major injury.
Let’s be honest, of the last 40 years last years title ranked in the bottom in difficulty. According to srs it ranked 38 out of 40. Played the 5th seeded heat in finals….avoided clippers played a play in banged up blazers, a team that went to 2 consecutive games sevens. That title?
What about the year before 2019? This year is looking like clippers first round, then nuggets or Phoenix in second round then jazz, with the nets or sixers likely in finals. That’s truly tough especially with ad and bron “banged up”
All I’m saying is if lebrons goat status like he says he is, dude needs to go through the gauntlet injured or not and win a real ring. Clippers, suns, jazz then nets? Then we can talk about greatness….
I give LeBron a ton of credit for the 2016 ring, which may be the most impressive championship of all time.
But I def believe last year was 38/40. And the two in Miami probably weren’t much higher. An OKC team that was raw in 2012 and SAS w/ an old Duncan and pre-peak Kawhi in 2013.
@buttholesurfer I agree. I give him props for 2016 as well but your right about the other 2 both ranked between 25-35 respectively.
Top 10 most difficult included
Both rockets wins in 90s
The lakers 3 peat with shaq and kobe
And 4 of the 6 bulls rings
Just to name a few
2020 was a real ring. LeBron can’t control who the opponent is. The Clippers choking a 3-1 lead is an indictment on them, not the Lakers.
Coming back from 1-3 deficit, who would have thought!? Suspended or not, draymond cant do anything, that cavs team is destined to be crowned!!