LeBron James' Final Injury Status for Lakers-Kings

The LA Lakers will be without their superstar forward against the Sacramento Kings.

Dec 25, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dribbles against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings are coming off a five-game losing streak to fall to 13-18 on the season. Their poor start to the season has resulted in major changes, as the Kings have officially parted ways with head coach Mike Brown.

The Kings travel to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night for their first contest without Brown, as Doug Christie has taken over as interim head coach.

Christie has a huge test in his first game as the new lead, facing off against the star-studded Lakers on the road. In a game where the Kings desperately need a win, Christie and his squad have the opportunity to make a huge statement in LA.

Luckily for the Kings, they have seemingly caught a break. Lakers superstar LeBron James has been ruled out of Saturday's contest with an illness.

LeBron James will miss Saturday’s game against SAC with an illness, sources told ESPN. It will be his third missed game of the season. The illness kept James out of Friday’s practice, too.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 29, 2024

James, 39, is having the worst scoring season of his career since he was a rookie, but the future Hall of Famer is still making a huge impact. Averaging 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 9.0 assists, James has helped lead the Lakers to a 17-13 record through 30 games as they sit tight in playoff position.

James and the Lakers have dominated the Kings this season, winning all three of their matchups so far. In their three wins, James is averaging 27.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.7 assists, so his absence will be a game-changer for a desperate Kings squad.

The Lakers and Kings tip off at 7:30 pm PT in LA on Saturday.

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