Lakers' LeBron James: Nerve issue cropped up in summer
Rotowire
James (sciatica) began to deal with his nerve issue after an on-court workout before the start of training camp, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
James has been nursing the injury since early August, and he's been unable to participate in most of this fall's training camp. The superstar forward will need more time to ramp up his activity, meaning he is unlikely to make his season debut until November. Jarred Vanderbilt stands out as the most likely choice to replace James in the Opening Night starting lineup.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Will miss season opener
Rotowire
James (sciatica) will miss the start of the 2025-26 regular season, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
James has been dealing with nerve irritation in his glute throughout training camp and now will miss time during the regular season. He will be reevaluated in three to four weeks, which means he'll miss at least the first five games of the regular season and potentially much more if the rehab process doesn't go well. Lakers newcomer Jake LaRavia may get a boost in minutes with James on the mend.
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Lakers' LeBron James: On his own timeline
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Head coach JJ Redick said James (glute) is on his "own timeline" to return to the floor, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
James has yet to play a game during the preseason, and there's a good chance he won't suit up until the team's regular-season opener Oct. 21 against the Warriors. Redick appears to be leaving it up to James to determine when he wants to play.
Lakers' LeBron James: Goes through individual work
Rotowire
James (glute) went through individual work during Tuesday's practice, Mark Medina of TheSportingTribune.com reports.
James has been dealing with a nerve irritation in his glute, which has kept him sidelined for the first two preseason games for his squad. It remains uncertain whether he'll suit up for any of the remaining five preseason games, starting with Sunday's matchup with the Warriors.
James (glute) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Suns, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times reports.
James is dealing with nerve irritation in his glute, which could keep him sidelined for the majority, if not all, of the preseason. Lakers newcomer Jake LaRavia will likely see more time on the floor during James' absence, as he'll potentially be a starter.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Progresses to on-court work
Rotowire
James (glute) participated in some on-court work during Wednesday's practice, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNetreports.
James is dealing with a nerve irritation in his glute, which has led the Lakers to adopt a cautious approach with the 40-year-old superstar. It seems as though the four-time NBA champion is progressing in the right direction during training camp, but his status for the preseason remains uncertain, as his target date to play is the season opener against the Warriors on Oct. 21.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Targeting Opening Night
Rotowire
James, who is dealing with nerve irritation in his glute, is targeting a return on Opening Night, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports.
Lakers coach J.J. Redick hasn't ruled James out from making an appearance in the preseason, but his goal is to have him ready for Opening Night. "It's probably a little bit longer of a ramp-up leading into Opening Night for him," Redick said of James. "Obviously, in Year 23, it's uncharted territory here." Redick added that James "probably did too much" in training camp last fall to show "buy-in" and ready himself and the team during Redick's maiden voyage as a head coach, so the team aims to take a slower process this time around.
Lakers' LeBron James: Dealing with nerve irritation
Rotowire
James was held out of practice Tuesday due to nerve irritation in his glute, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Along with James dealing with a nerve issue, Lakers newcomers Marcus Smart (Achilles) and rookie Adou Thiero (knee) were also held out, as was Gabe Vincent (knee). With James entering his 23rd season, the team is taking it slow with him during training camp, a pace that is likely to carry over to the preseason, which gets underway Friday against the Suns.
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