The Los Angeles Lakers are set to be without LeBron James for at least one to two weeks after the superstar forward suffered a left groin strain, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Sunday.
James will undergo further evaluation, but the Lakers are expected to err on the side of caution as they remain in a strong position, holding the third seed in the Western Conference.
The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ 114-105 loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday, forcing the 40-year-old to exit the game with 6:44 remaining.
Despite the setback, he downplayed concerns, stating postgame that he would take things “day by day”.
“I’ve been there before, and I know what type of injury you’re dealing with,” said James, referencing the torn groin injury that kept him sidelined for 17 games in the 2018-19 season.
Lakers Face Tough Schedule Without LeBron
The Lakers now enter one of the most demanding stretches of their season, with six games in the next eight days, including two matchups each against the defending champion Denver Nuggets and the Milwaukee Bucks.
James has been a vital piece of the Lakers’ success, appearing in 58 of their 62 games this season while averaging 25 points, 8.5 assists, and 8.2 rebounds on 51.7% shooting (38.4% from three).
His absence will put more pressure on Anthony Davis and the supporting cast as the Lakers look to maintain their strong playoff positioning.
