LeBron James has yet to play in the opening game of his record-breaking 23rd NBA season. The 40-year-old Lakers star missed the recent game against the San Antonio Spurs and is expected to remain sidelined for several weeks due to a persistent sciatica injury that first appeared last month.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick commented on LeBron's recovery process:
"Obviously, this thing has to continue to progress with all of his return-to-play protocols. So we don't have, like, a target date. It's just somewhere in that general timeline. We hope that he's kind of checked all the boxes and is going to be back sometime in that second or third week in November."
LeBron is projected to miss upcoming matchups against the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans, and Milwaukee Bucks.
He is likely to make his season debut at home against the Utah Jazz on November 18, where he will become the first NBA player to compete in 23 seasons.
Reports indicate LeBron has been dedicated to solo workouts and is preparing to advance to full-contact scrimmages soon.
“He is recovering from a nagging sciatica injury that surfaced last month.”
Author's summary: LeBron James is cautiously progressing through recovery from a sciatica injury, aiming to return mid-November and make history with his 23rd NBA season debut.