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In his historic 23rd season, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers could miss the All-Star game and has an uncertain future on retirement.
The Los Angeles Lakers thought they had finally turned the corner on health.
Then, just hours before opening their post–All-Star break slate, reality intervened.
LeBron James Pops Up on Injury Report
After head coach JJ Redick expressed optimism Thursday that the Lakers had a clean bill of health, LeBron James unexpectedly appeared on Friday’s injury report as questionable with left knee soreness ahead of Los Angeles’ matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena.
James is expected to be a game-time decision. If cleared, he would join Luka Dončić, who is set to return after missing the Lakers’ final four games before the All-Star break with a hamstring strain.
The sudden development cast uncertainty over what was supposed to be a reset moment for a Lakers team desperate for continuity.
A Surprise After a Busy All-Star Weekend
There were no public signs of trouble until Friday.
James, 41, played in Sunday’s All-Star Game, logging 21 total minutes across the weekend’s three-game format while producing 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists and one steal. He also participated fully in the Lakers’ first practice following the break.
Nothing suggested an issue — until his name surfaced on the injury report.
The timing was especially jarring given the message Redick delivered just a day earlier.
Redick Warns Lakers: ‘This Is Going to Be a Sprint’
Redick did not mince words when addressing his team Thursday morning.
“It’s funny, we were talking before the season about building continuity with those three guys, and we’ve had them available together for 10 games,” Redick said via ESPN. “My messaging this morning to the players was this is going to be a sprint, these last 28 games.
“Starting Friday, we won’t have more than a day between games until the end of March,” Redick added. “So we’ve got an opportunity to play our best basketball after the All-Star break.”
That opportunity now hinges, once again, on availability.
Big Three Rarely Seen Together
Friday’s game was shaping up to mark just the 11th time all season that Dončić, James and Austin Reaves would share the floor together.
Despite the limited sample size, the results have been encouraging. The Lakers are 7–3 when all three play — a record that hints at the ceiling Redick believes still exists if health cooperates.
But that has been a persistent problem.
James missed the first 14 games of the season and has sat out 18 total. Reaves missed 19 consecutive games with a calf injury suffered in late December. Dončić’s hamstring strain before the break only compounded the issue.
As a result, Los Angeles has spent most of the season evaluating lineups in fragments rather than as a finished product.
Dončić, Reaves Trending the Right Way
Dončić’s return is a significant boost, even if some caution remains. He logged just five minutes for Team World during All-Star Weekend.
“I was on a minutes restriction,” Dončić said via ESPN. “It was definitely good to get up and down a little bit after having a week off.”
Whether that restriction carries into regular-season action remains unclear, but Redick sounded confident that Dončić is ready to ramp up.
The same is true for Reaves.
“Austin won’t have a minutes restriction,” Redick said via Silver Screen and Roll. “And as of 35 to 45 seconds ago, it looks like we’ll have everybody available [Friday].”
Reaves has appeared in only five games since returning from injury and has been easing back into action off the bench. With the restriction lifted, the Lakers can finally deploy their preferred rotation — assuming James is cleared.
Standings Leave No Margin for Error
The urgency is real.
Los Angeles sits one game back of the third seed in the Western Conference, with a realistic path toward home-court advantage in the opening round — and away from the play-in tournament — if it can capitalize on continuity.
The schedule, however, will not offer relief. According to Tankathon, the Lakers face the 10th-toughest remaining slate, including two games each against the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets, plus matchups against Eastern Conference contenders Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks.
There is little room for experimentation — or setbacks.
Redick called the final stretch a sprint. The injury report, once again, is threatening to slow the Lakers down before they can even hit full stride.
Alder Almo is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo
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