Is LeBron James playing tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder? | 2021-22 NBA season

LeBron James fell to the floor grimacing in pain during the LA Lakers' game against the Memphis Grizzlies and LakerNation held their breath. The sighting was all-too-familiar with the Grizzlies' Desmond rolling over James' ankle similar to last season when Hawks' Solomon Hill did the same. LeBron James admitted experiencing deja vu at the time and thought, "Not Again." ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported on James' words after the game,

"The first thing I was thinking to myself was, 'Not again,'...Because obviously it was almost similar but not the same kind of play. Guy falls into my leg and there's nothing you can do about it and I couldn't get my leg out of there in time."

After that incident, James got up from the floor, bounced on his feet and then played the entire game till the end of regulation. In his own words, he just wanted to make sure that the situation wasn't getting worse.

However, LeBron James' ankle condition appears to have gotten worse since then. In the heat of battle, while the adrenaline is pumping, the 36-year-old must not have felt much pain. For the LA Lakers' next game against the San Antonio Spurs, James was initially sure that he would play but then his status was reported as 'probable'. The LA Lakers then downgraded his status from 'probable' to 'questionable' before the game and he was eventually ruled out altogether.

The LA Lakers now face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday and fans from all over the world want to know LeBron James' status.

What is LeBron James' status for tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder?

LeBron James on the bench coaches Anthony Davis in the LA Lakers' win over San Antonio

LeBron James is officially ruled out for the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to soreness in his right knee. The LA Lakers had listed him questionable for the game earlier today but have now downgraded his status. James spoke about his recovery and treatment ahead of last night's game in San Antonio, saying:

"It’s a little sore right now...And obviously, I think it’s going to be a little sore tomorrow when I wake up. Obviously, I’m an around-the-clock guy when it comes to treatment so, hopefully, I’ll be ready to go on Tuesday"

Analysts initially thought that coach Frank Vogel was likely just exercising caution and resting his talisman on the front-end of a back-to-back schedule. However, with LeBron James ruled out for yet another game, the injury might be more serious than we thought.

When will LeBron James return?

It looked like LeBron James avoided serious injury but the Lakers coaching staff believes that he needs additional time to heal. The back-to-back involved travelling from Texas to Oklahoma which would leave very little time for healing or rest. If we consider earlier reports where James suggested that the injury is not severe and he should be fine soon, then he should return for the LA Lakers' home game against his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

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