One of the most impressive parts of LeBron James’ career has been his durability — he has played more minutes than any player in league history. Another example, in 22 seasons, he had never missed an opening night.
That changes this year. LeBron James is out with sciatica on his right side and will be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks, the Lakers have announced. That means he is out for opening night, Oct. 21, when the Lakers host Stephen Curry and the Warriors in the second game of a double-header, the games that mark the return of the NBA to NBC and its debut on Peacock.
Even the most optimistic timeline has LeBron missing the Lakers’ first six games, but with him being re-evaluated in a month expect that number to climb into the double digits. A return in mid-November seems more likely.
Sciatica is a shooting pain, often accompanied by weakness or numbness, along one side of the body due to pressure on the sciatic nerve. That nerve runs from the lower back through the hips and down the leg to the feet. That compression of the nerve can be caused by a number of things, such as a herniated disc, a bone spur, lifting something heavy incorrectly, or other issues. The treatment rarely involves surgery, but is more about rest, specific stretches and exercises (depending on the cause of the pain) and heat/ice on the affected area.
LeBron, 40, was a second-team All-NBA player for the Lakers last season, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds a game. The Lakers had hoped to use this year’s training camp to get LeBron and Luka Doncic more comfortable playing next to one another, but LeBron’s sciatica has put that on hold. Doncic has been a full participant in practices, Lakers coach J.J. Redick said today.
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