Lakers’ LeBron James May Miss Extended Time With Injury, per Report

He played through the injury in Los Angeles’ comeback win over the Mavericks.

LeBron James is set to miss Tuesday’s contest against the Grizzlies after sustaining a foot injury against the Mavericks on Sunday night. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, there are “fears” that the Lakers star’s injury could cost him multiple games.

James, who played through the injury in Los Angeles’ stunning 111–108 comeback win over Dallas, will now require multiple opinions on his right foot. Charania indicates that the superstar will be sidelined “an indefinite amount” and that the Lakers are “bracing for his absence to be multiple weeks.”

The 38-year-old logged a team-high 37 minutes in the win, registering 26 points, eight rebounds and three assists. 

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James miraculously played through the injury that is now expected to require multiple opinions, sources said, and the Lakers are bracing for his absence to be multiple weeks. https://t.co/zuovQ2wVzc

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 28, 2023

The injury would be a huge blow for Los Angeles, who is fighting to grab a play-in seed in the Western Conference. Prior to tipoff of Monday’s games, the team sits in 12th place in the West, just one game behind the 10th-place Pelicans. 

During the All-Star Break, James described the final 23 games of the Lakers’ season as “the most important games of [his] career.” It now seems as if he could be sidelined for a significant chunk of Los Angeles’s stretch run, putting a major damper on their playoff and play-in hopes.

James has featured in 47 of the Lakers’ first 61 games this season, missing time due to minor injuries throughout the year. The foot injury is the most concerning for the 20-year veteran.

Recently acquired point guard D’Angelo Russell is also banged up and considered questionable to play on Tuesday against the Grizzlies, adding to the Lakers’ injury woes amid James’ potentially lengthy absence.