LeBron James practiced with the South Bay Lakers, the G League affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers, on Wednesday in El Segundo, California. This was a significant milestone in his healing — both figuratively and literally. He hopes to be back on court after having missed this entire season with sciatica, a painful nerve affliction on his right side.
Throughout the practice, James was involved in several warmup transition drills before moving onto a half-court 5-on-5 drill. He was reportedly limited to around 12 to 15 live-contact possessions through this period. His involvement in these types of drills is a welcome sign that he’s taking another step on the road back from injury.
“James was super involved in practice today,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said after the game, when he was asked about James’ presence. He priced it out as a significant victory lap for the street brawler. This is particularly so as he prepares for his 23rd season in the NBA.
“Got up and down a little bit with just some, like, warmup transition drills and progressed to 5-on-5 in the half court, and got, I think about 12 to 15 possessions of live 5-on-5 contact.” – JJ Redick
James has yet to suit up for even one game this year. Even in his absence though, his side has managed to come out victorious in eight of their first eleven matches. This performance is no outlier, as the Lakers show their ability to bounce back as they look to find their identity in the early season.
James’ first full practice of the season was with the South Bay Lakers. This is promising news to fans and teammates alike! He had surgery on March 31 and is pushing daily to get back to 100 percent. Promising more than ever, fans can’t wait for his return, particularly as the NBA’s all-time scoring leader.
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