Lakers May Hold LeBron James Out For Multiple Games Due to Ankle Injury

Ricardo Sandoval | Feb 18, 2025

Feb 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers may hold out LeBron James for the first two games after the All-Star break. 

ESPN's Shams Charania shared via X. 

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The Lakers could be without James against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday and the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday. 

James missed the All-Star Game on Sunday due to his lingering ankle issue. 

The 40-year-old has been dealing with a lingering ankle issue for what he said has been a 'long time.' James spoke to the media before the All-Star game and said he wants to be as fresh as he can, as he knows these final 30 games will be crucial. 

“I have to look out for myself when it comes to the injuries," James said. 

"With 30 games left and us trying to make a playoff push in the wild, wild West, I felt like it was very important for me to kind of take care of myself and understand what's coming on [down the stretch]," James said.

The four-time NBA champion initially said he hoped to play on Wednesday, but we won't know for sure until mere moments before tip-off. 

The Lakers sit at a great spot as things stand, but that could all come tumbling down if they are not a healthy bunch. 

As things stand, they are the fifth seed in the Western Conference with a 32-20 record. They have won 12 of their last 15 games; however, they are only three games above the seventh seed Timberolwves. 

They are also only 5.5 games above the 10th-seed Warriors. A bad stretch can make all the difference in the world, but so could a good stretch. 

It is crucial L.A. comes out of the gate hot, as the month of March will not be easy. 

The Lakers have a stretch where they will play the Knicks, Celtics, Bucks (twice), and the Nuggets (twice), all in a span of 14 days.

These next 30 games will tell us a lot about the current state of this team, and the hope is James is out there more times than not. 

Although Luka Dončić is the face of the team now, this team won't reach its full potential without James on the court. 

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