Is LeBron James playing tonight against the San Antonio Spurs? | 2021-22 NBA season

Almost the entire LA Lakers fanbase held their breath as LeBron James went down with a supposed injury during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The LA Lakers now visit San Antonio, Texas, to play against the Spurs on Tuesday (October 26) and everyone wants to know if King James will lace-up for the game.

"Not again" is what LeBron James thought to himself, along with every person watching the game. He missed a significant number of games last season when the Atlanta Hawks' Solomon Hill rolled over his ankle in late March. As reported by Silver Screen and Roll's Jacob Rude, James said the injury took him months to completely heal from, well into the offseason.

On Sunday (October 24), he admitted experiencing a deja vu when Memphis Grizzlies' Desmond Bane rolled into his ankle on the same leg after colliding with Dwight Howard mid-air. 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."

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What is LeBron James' status for tonight's game against the San Antonio Spurs?

LeBron James of the LA Lakers against the Memphis Grizzlies.

LeBron James was listed as probable in the older injury report but his status has now been downgraded to questionable.

After the collision with Bane, LeBron James fell to the floor and everyone in the arena gasped and let out an audible groan. But he eventually stood up and started bouncing on his feet. James didn't head to the locker room and played until the end of regulation. Not only did he play till the end, he also jumped out of the gym to block Tyus Jones' shot on the very next possession.

James spoke about the moment when he was on the floor grimacing in pain, saying:

"Just wanted to take a moment on the floor, just hopefully it wasn't getting worse... Had an opportunity just to tie my shoe again and see if I'm able to go, I was able to continue to go."

LeBron James is officially listed as questionable for the game against the Spurs due to right ankle soreness. However, he has traveled with the team to San Antonio so there is a chance he might play. As reported by Silver Screen and Roll's Jacob Rude, James spoke about his condition ahead of the 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"

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When will LeBron James return?

As mentioned above, there is a possibility that LeBron James might play tonight against the San Antonio Spurs. He hopes to be ready to go after receiving "around the clock" treatment on his ankle.

But one important thing to note is that the LA Lakers are heading into their first back-to-back schedule of the season. After facing the Spurs on Tuesday, they will head to Oklahoma to take on the Thunder on Wednesday (October 27).

Coach Frank Vogel might exercise caution and keep his talisman out of the first game to give him an extra day of healing. If LeBron James indeed doesn't lace up due to a last-minute game-time decision, he will certainly play against the OKC Thunder on Wednesday.

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