The question on everyone’s mind is: When will LeBron James make his first season in 23 years?
News of sciatica in his right side during the preseason certainly put a damper on things, as the Lakers star missed the first opening night of his career.
Despite Austin Reeves’ stellar performance, the Lakers will certainly miss James’ offensive talents on the court, especially with Luka Doncic sidelined.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick provided an update on LeBron ahead of the Lakers’ game against the Timberwolves.
“We’re probably right around that point in time where we’d like to get him back in the lineup,” Redick told the media. “But obviously, this thing has to continue to progress with all of his return-to-play protocols. We don’t have a target date. It’s just somewhere in the overall timeline. We’re hoping he checks all the boxes and can be back sometime in the second or third week of November.”
Redick’s schedule lines up with what ESPN’s Shams Charania reported in mid-October. He explained that the Lakers and James are aiming to make his debut in mid-November, and that James and the team are taking a “patient approach” to his recovery. This is understandable since he is almost 41 years old.
Later in October, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin agreed with Shams’ timeline.
McMenamin said on “NBA Today” on October 27: “Multiple sources have told me over the past few days that everything in his recovery and getting back to a return date is moving in the right direction.”
Since sciatica is an irritation or inflammation of one or more nerves that run from the lower back into the leg, there’s no doubt the Lakers are taking every precaution.
Injuries can also cause long-term damage that lasts for months or even years.
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