After carrying the full weight of the team, Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James has finally caught up with physical issues and struggles to be 100% fit.
If you exclude LeBron James’ record-breaking highest point total, the Lakers’ efforts have yielded nothing noteworthy. Rather, they have been plagued by the injury bug all season, preventing them from performing to their full potential. Among all of those pale performances, the Lakers forward stood out like a bright star in the night sky.
The immense pressure, however, had taken its toll, and Lebron has missed three games in a row due to an ankle injury, and Lakers coach Darvin Ham has some idea of when the star will return.
When will LeBron James be back on the court?
After scoring a massive 38-point haul against the Thunders on February 7, the 38-year-old had missed all three games due to his left ankle injury. Previously, one month ago, James faced a similar issue, but it appears he couldn’t shake this ailment off.
However, Coach Ham has given a positive hint about the 19-time consecutive all-star’s potential return. Ham expects, James will be fine for the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on February 15, the final game before the all-star weekend.
Darvin Ham says “in all likelihood” LeBron James should play Wednesday in the Lakers final game before the All-Star break.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 14, 2023
The ankle issue is nothing new to the four-time NBA champion, as he has been suffering from it since 2021. In the last month, he played against the Mavericks and 76ers while suffering from ankle soreness, and it has become a frequent companion since then.
King James has played 44 games this season and scored an average of 30.2 points with 8.5 rebounds and 7 assists per game. In the absence of the four-time NBA finals MVP, the team suffered nine of its 32 losses.
The Lakers are currently the 13th seed in the Western Conference with a 26-32 record. The fans can surely hope for development after the return of the king.
