Lakers' LeBron James: Sets records in season debut
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James (sciatica) logged 11 points (4-7 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 1-4 FT), 12 assists, three rebounds and one steal across 30 minutes in Tuesday's 140-126 win over Utah.
After having dealt with sciatica on his right side since shortly before the start of training camp and missing the Lakers' first 14 games, James was cleared to make his season debut when he experienced no lingering effects of the injury following a full practice Monday. In so doing, James became the first player in NBA history to play in a 23rd season. He then moved up the all-time leaderboard in another category as the game unfolded, with his pair of triples on the night allowing him to surpass Reggie Miller for sixth place in career three-pointers made. Though the 40-year-old may still be subject to some occasional rest days -- particularly for one half of back-to-back sets -- as he works to regain his full conditioning, James should be ready to take on at least a couple extra minutes in the Lakers' next game, a rematch with Utah on Sunday.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Will play Tuesday
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James (sciatica) will play in Tuesday's game against the Jazz, NBA reporter Chris Haynes reports.
James will make his season debut after missing nearly the first month of the season due to sciatica on his right side. It wouldn't be surprising to see the superstar forward operate under a minutes restriction, and his return could mean fewer minutes for Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht and Jake LaRavia. James has continued to play at an elite level in the latter stages of his career, and over 70 regular-season appearances in 2024-25, the 40-year-old averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 34.9 minutes per game.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Expected to play Tuesday
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James (sciatica) remains listed as questionable but is aiming to make his season debut Tuesday against the Jazz, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
The Lakers called James a game-time decision following morning shootaround, but after he avoided any setbacks coming out of the workout, he now appears to be trending toward making his season debut Tuesday. Fantasy managers planning on activating James for Tuesday will want to confirm that he's included in the lineup ahead of the 10:30 p.m. ET tipoff, and some restrictions with his minutes should be expected if he gets the green light to play.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Remains game-time call
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James (back) remains a game-time call Tuesday against the Jazz, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
James participated in the morning shootaround, but he's still listed as questionable on the official injury report. Presumably, he will warm up and see how he feels before a final decision is made. If he gets the green light to return, James is likely to have restrictions during his season debut.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Game-time call vs. Jazz
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James (back) is questionable for Tuesday's game against Utah, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times reports.
James was recalled from the G League's South Bay Lakers on Sunday and continues to trend in the right direction. He was a full participant in Monday's practice and evidently fared well, as L.A. has officially listed him as questionable ahead of Tuesday's matchup. The team should provide another update closer to tipoff on whether the 40-year-old is ready to make his 2025-26 debut.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Goes through practice Monday
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James (back) was a full participant at Monday's practice, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
James recently returned from a G League stint in which he was able to get some extra practice reps in, and it sounds like he's continuing to progress. Coach JJ Redick wasn't ready to discuss James' availability for Tuesday's game against the Jazz, but a questionable tag could be on the table. More clarity will be known once the Lakers release their official injury report.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Set for full practice Monday
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The Lakers recalled James (lower back) from the G League's South Bay Lakers on Sunday, and he's slated to be a full participant in Monday's practice, Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin of ESPN report.
James has yet to make his season debut while recovering from sciatica that had affected his lower back and right side of his body, though he's trending in the right direction after spending time over the past week practicing with the Lakers' G League affiliate. The 40-year-old superstar reportedly "looked great" and "moved well" during his recent sessions, and if all goes well Monday, he could have a chance at playing in Tuesday's home game against the Jazz. However, the Lakers have four straight days off after Tuesday's game, so the team may be incentivized to give James additional time to rest up following Monday's practice before having him make his debut in a rematch with the Jazz on the road next Sunday.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Practices Thursday
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James was again able to get through full-contact, 5-on-5 work at Thursday's practice with the G League's South Bay Lakers, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
This is the second practice with South Bay that James has been able to get through without issue, and according to McMenamin, James' Thursday workout was "intense." The Lakers will hold a Monday practice when they return from their road trip, and if James continues to progress, he could join the team for that one.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Goes through 5-on-5 work
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James (back) took part in 5-on-5 drills while practicing with the G League's South Bay Lakers on Wednesday, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
James has been sidelined all season while recovering from sciatica on his right side, but he took a meaningful step toward making his 2025-26 debut by getting in his first practice of the campaign Wednesday. With the Lakers in the midst of a five-game road trip, James will likely continue to practice with South Bay over the next few days before the parent club returns to Los Angeles following Saturday's tilt in Milwaukee. Head coach JJ Redick wasn't willing to commit to James taking part in practice with the Lakers on Monday, making it unclear if the 21-time All-Star will be available for Tuesday's home game against the Jazz.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Practicing in G League on Wednesday
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James (back) will practice with the G League's South Bay Lakers on Wednesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
James will log his first practice of the season and will be recalled after the practice. The 40-year-old is moving on to the next phase of his rehab from sciatica on his right side, an issue that first cropped up over the summer. Previous reports have suggested that James could be cleared to make his season debut next Tuesday against the Jazz once the Lakers return from their five-game road trip, though his availability for that contest will be contingent on him responding well to his increased workload in practice over the next few days.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Cleared for contact
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ESPN's Shams Charania reported Thursday that James (back) has been cleared for contact basketball activities.
James' next step is to be cleared for 5-on-5 action, and he's scheduled to be re-evaluated in one to two weeks. Charania reported Wednesday that James won't travel on Los Angeles' five-game road trip, so his earliest possible return date remains Nov. 18 against the Jazz.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Won't travel on five-game trip
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James (back) will not travel with the team on their upcoming five-game road trip, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
James has been targeting a mid-November return, but he needs to complete full-contact, 5-on-5 work before he's cleared to play, and that won't happen while he's away from the team. The Lakers return from their road trip Nov. 16, and then play Nov. 18 at home against the Jazz, leaving little time for James to get in some quality practices.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Eyeing mid-November return
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James (sciatica) isn't expected to make his 2025-26 debut until around mid-November, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
James has been dealing with a nerve issue since early August, and the injury is expected to keep him sidelined until mid-November. Charania also noted that James and the Lakers will be patient with the recovery process. The 40-year-old will be re-evaluated Oct. 30, at which point a more specific timeline for return may be revealed. It's unclear who'll step in to the starting lineup in place of James, though Jarred Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia appear to be the likeliest candidates.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Nerve issue cropped up in summer
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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
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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.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Goes through individual work
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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.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Won't play vs. Phoenix
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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
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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
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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.
