LeBron James, the storied forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, is just now getting back to shape. In the video above, I’m treating a recent-onset sciatica case. The Los Angeles Lakers publicly revealed his diagnosis on October 9. They’re hoping to reassess his condition in three to four weeks. Thursday will be four weeks since his diagnosis. In addition to irrational fans, analysts, etc., all are clamoring to see when he returns to the court.
The Lakers’ coach, JJ Redick, provided insights into James’ recovery timeline. He added that there was no particular return date for James at this time. Despite the severity of his diagnosis, the team is hopeful that he can return to game action by the second or third week of November. The soonest game James can return is November 18, when the Lakers welcome the Utah Jazz.
When he returns, James will become the first player in history to play 23 NBA seasons. He won’t travel with the team on their next five-game road trip. That’s no small feat, as this trip involves games against the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks. During this entire period, he will be living full-time at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo, California.
During their own long road trip, the Lakers’ G League affiliate South Bay Lakers will be using the facility to practice. What remains to be seen is whether James will participate in these walkthroughs, or if he’ll holdout until the team gets back for a regular practice.
So far, the Lakers have proved a tough out without their best player, jumping out to a surprising 6-2 start to the season. While this is incredible success, James’ return generates a ton of questions about how this will affect the team’s chemistry and performance in the long haul.
JJ Redick spoke out about the need to adhere to return-to-play protocols. Obviously, this thing has to keep moving forward with all of his return-to-play protocols,” he said. He further explained that though there is no exact timetable for his return, the team is hopeful for a strong recovery.
“So we don’t have, like, a target date. It’s just somewhere in that general timeline. We hope that he’s kind of checked all the boxes and is going to be back sometime in that second or third week in November.” – JJ Redick
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