After missing two games, LeBron James returned to the Lakers lineup and looked sensational, but made it clear his foot injury isn’t going away.
LeBron James was back and better than ever on Sunday. During his pregame press conference, JJ Redick stated that his star forward would “give it a go,” and not only did he play, but he was dominant.
The opening plays by LeBron were cinematic. He started by feeding Anthony Davis two quick baskets, had a highlight dunk, blocked Desmond Bane and scored on a tip-in. The Lakers 9-2 start was a sign of things to come as the team led by as many as 23 points, never trailed and beat the Grizzlies 116-110 at home.
Given the two games James missed and his absence during practice last week, he hadn’t discussed his injury during this time out. After the win, he made it clear that this is an ongoing issue he just has to deal with.
“It’s an everyday thing,” LeBron said. “It’s not behind me. It’s an everyday thing. It’s something that’s been lingering for the last few years. But I was able to do a lot of great things [during my time off]…I was able heal a lot of things.”
It’s discouraging to hear this injury is not going away, but it’s not new information he is dealing with foot issues.
Last season, Lebron was playing on a foot injury for months and missed games late in the season because of it.
He returned and played big minutes in the playoffs, but his lack of burst was noticeable. Instead of resting up this summer, he continued to add time to his body by playing in the Olympics. He was stellar, helping Team USA win gold and earned Olympics MVP, but his foot didn’t get rest.
Even back in 2023, LeBron had a right foot tendon injury that caused him to miss significant time late in the season. He eventually returned and played on that injury all the way through a Western Conference Finals appearance.
So, of course, with nagging injuries that have persisted to some capacity over the years, any opportunity to get time off helps. A week-plus away has seemed to have done wonders for LeBron.
“I felt pretty good,” LeBron said postgame. “It’s very rare throughout a quarter of the season where you can take advantage of a schedule and I was able to do that over the last week.”
For those wondering how managing this discomfort and when to rest versus pushing through the pain gets decided, LeBron shared that it’s a group effort.
“I listen to more than just myself because if it was up to me, I probably would have played in that Portland game and I’m not sure if I’d have played in the Minnesota game, but it’d been hard to keep me away from it,” LeBron said. “I have a team and I got to listen to them as well.”
We can be our own worst enemies, so it’s good that LeBron listens to those around him and is willing to take games off when necessary, even if it’s not to his liking.
The Lakers can’t afford to lose LeBron for an extended period, so if his missing a couple of games helps prevent a month-long injury, then it must be done.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
