LeBron James makes his feelings clear on suffering first knee injury in 22 year career

Throughout his two-decade-plus-long career, LeBron James has been fortunate enough to avoid any major injuries. However, that all changed during the LA Lakers' Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Days after the Lakers were eliminated from the postseason, it was revealed that LeBron suffered an MCL sprain that will keep him sidelined for roughly a month. The 21-time All-Star has dealt with various ailments in his career, but this is his first time coming back from a knee injury.

On Thursday morning, LeBron James spoke about his injury against the Timberwolves for the first time. While on his Mind the Game podcast, the Lakers star touched on what things have been like for him the last few days.

"This is the first time I've ever had a sustained knee injury where I had to like okay you got to get off your feet," LeBron said. "You got to kind of be shelved for a minute." (11:50)

"I knew right then and there it was a pain that I hadn't felt before."

Even if the Lakers managed to keep their season alive in Game 5, they would have been shorthanded the rest of the way. With the recovery timeline set between three and five weeks, LeBron James wouldn't have been able to suit up again.

---

LeBron James tips cap to Minnesota Timberwolves after playoff exit

After talking about his injury situation, LeBron James touched on where his head's been at mentally. He has used this time to look back on the Lakers' series with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and ended up tipping his cap to his opponent.

Though they were the No. 6 seed, Minnesota was far from an inexperienced squad. While they made some changes since last year, most of the roster was part of the group that reached the conference finals in 2024. Among the key pieces is Anthony Edwards, who continues to emerge as a superstar in the NBA.

LeBron James opened up on how crucial matchups are in the postseason, and that Minnesota was a tough one for the Lakers. He then went on to give the team their flowers, dubbing them a team on the rise.

"We ran into a damn good matchup," LeBron said. "A team that's been battle tested, a team that's hungry, a team that a lot of youth but also expeirence at the same time, and another team that's trying to make the next step." (15:45)

With their season officially over, the Lakers now go back to the drawing board. The pressure is now on Rob Pelinka to bolster the supporting cast around the star duo of LeBron and Luka Doncic.