The Los Angeles Lakers confirmed that LeBron James will miss the start of the 2025-26 NBA season after being sidelined for up to four weeks with sciatica.
The 40-year-old signed a new contract with the Lakers in June and will become the first player in history to play in 23 different NBA seasons.
But this latest setback will delay that milestone, keeping him out for the entirety of October and causing him to miss the first game of his career.
He missed the team’s games against the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns earlier this month due to what the team called “gluteal nerve irritation.”
The four-time NBA champion is expected to miss all five of the Lakers’ games in October, including the season opener against the Golden State Warriors, according to the Lakers’ medical staff.
“James has not participated in pre-season training and continues to receive treatment for neurological issues,” the team said in a statement, according to the BBC.
This is unfamiliar territory for the NBA’s all-time scoring leader.
In his 22-year career, James has never missed the start of a regular season before. His durability has long been a point of pride and a key to his longevity.
James currently has 1,562 career regular season games played, just 50 away from breaking the all-time record set by former Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish.
Last season, James played in 70 of the Lakers’ 82 games, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game, ranking sixth in MVP voting. Despite his individual success, the Lakers exited the 2024-25 playoffs in the first round after losing the series 4-1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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