LeBron James is not only an extraordinary basketball player but also has out of ordinary feet that require specialized and expensive care.
What’s alarming is award-winning podiatrist Marion Yau claims the Los Angeles Lakers star has deformities on his left foot, including overlapping toes, that can cause pressure, dead skin, and eventually ulceration.
James must wear custom shoes and orthotics and visit a podiatrist regularly. Yau estimates that James spends around $7,000 per month on foot care, totaling $84,000 annually.
Despite all of this care, James recently suffered a right foot injury during a game on February 26. He played through the injury, which could have further inflamed the foot, but he may need to rehab the injury for several weeks.
Yau believes that the injury could have been avoided if James had come off the court and received treatment immediately. James’ age and overall foot health are critical as he plans to bring his team to the playoffs.
LeBron James 'likely spends $84k on his feet but injuries still happen' https://t.co/eUJIfk7NM2
— The Sun Showbiz (@TheSunShowbiz) March 1, 2023
Yau emphasized the importance of taking care of James’ left foot’s deformities, which require regular treatment to reduce thick skin buildup that can cause skin deadness and eventually ulceration.
She suggests scalpel treatment to remove the hard skin and toe tattooing to regain lost pigmentation. James’ previous ankle injury in February also requires regular treatment such as taping, massages, orthotics changes, and rehabilitation.
Yau notes that the scan on the left ankle at that time showed no issue, but the injury could take time to recover fully compared to previous years.
"I don't want him to rush back early…I want him to get completely right and healthy before he comes back. It's on us to step up and win basketball games." @AntDavis23 on LeBron James' injury. pic.twitter.com/VOP8d2hPJN
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 1, 2023
What does Marion Yau say on LeBron’s injury?
The award winning podiatrist had some words of wisdom for the NBA legend. “As people age, the skin becomes thinner, you get infections a bit easier, and wound healing’s delayed,” she said.
Marion Yau advises patients with deformities like James’ to visit a podiatrist every six to eight weeks. She feels his current injury might take longer than the previous years for him to recover.
“From his injury report around the time of the scan on the left ankle, that might take time to recover fully compared to previous years”, insists Marion.
“From then his team podiatrist would’ve been providing taping, massages, orthotics changes, and rehabilitation for this left ankle.”
Proper foot care is essential not just for athletes but for everyone, especially as we age. We rely on our feet to take us places, and neglecting them can lead to serious health issues. So, let’s take a cue from LeBron James and invest in our foot health.
