'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABkAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABggQAAAFBAEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQFAAYREhQTIjFBQgEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAURAAEEAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAxESAAQiMnH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AMFWtbxZ5qtBJkRBdZ4kBHCgm7FfGQ1+RKNSUxBu4eXfx3JIpw3ayG+oht0jiTOM+8UpRS+6l9CQqAWbH20ZbTrMnQW7XmNmgMnrWYz/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
LA Lakers superstar LeBron James has missed the team's last two games. The four-time NBA MVP is dealing with a nagging ankle injury. James played through the issue during his record-breaking night during the Lakers' 133-130 loss against the OKC Thunder.
He looked in solid condition throughout the first three quarters until he broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record, but LeBron struggled to play down the stretch and had to be subbed out in the clutch. The Lakers have listed him as questionable over the last three games.
The extent of his injury and the timetable to return remains unknown. Bleacher Report and TNT's Chris Haynes reported his source's latest intel on James' injury. Here's what he wrote:
“It’s something that’s been nagging him for a few weeks already, but it gets to points where it just gets unbearable and he plays through it. And people that talked to me said he was really struggling with that foot,”
Haynes added:
“The way it’s explained to me is that sometimes it flares up, different sides of his foot, depending on the cut, the way that he plants certain times … that might be something that lingers all season long, but it reached a dire point,”
LeBron James has been consistent with his numbers since joining the LA Lakers. However, injuries have limited him from being available for the team as much as he would've liked.
Exploring LeBron James' niggling injuries over the past 3 years with LA Lakers
LeBron James has become injury prone since joining the LA Lakers in 2018. In his first season, he was ruled out due to a groin injury. James managed to avoid long-term absences during the team's 2019-20 championship-winning season. However, the last two seasons before the current season haven't gone as per plans.
James' 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons have been his most injury-prone years. He played 45 out of 72 regular-season games in 2020-21. James sustained an ankle injury that occurred in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. It was an impact injury as one of the opposing players accidentally dived into James' leg, going after a loose ball.
The Lakers were already missing Anthony Davis at that point. James' absence cost them a direct qualification for the playoffs as they slipped to seventh in the standings. The Lakers won the play-in tournament but lost in the first round of the playoffs.
LeBron James sustained multiple injuries in the 2021-22 season. Unlike the previous year, James had suffered soft tissue injuries. An abdominal injury sidelined him for multiple games, followed by a knee swelling and an ankle injury that forced him to miss 26 games.
James' issues have continued in his 20th season. His left ankle has bothered him throughout this season, forcing him to miss 13 games thus far.
