Lakers’ LeBron James to Miss “Indefinite Amount” of Games Due to Foot Injury
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will miss an “indefinite amount” of games due to a right foot injury, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The injury occurred during the team’s comeback victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, leaving fans concerned about the Lakers’ playoff hopes.
During the match, James was caught on camera telling his teammates that he heard something “pop” in his right foot late in the third quarter. Despite the apparent injury, he continued playing and scored 11 more points. Head coach Darvin Ham was reportedly unaware of the injury.
After the game, James was seen limping out of the arena, but was not in a boot or on crutches. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that James will have his injury reassessed in two weeks and a timeline for his return is expected to go beyond that check-in date. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that James will miss at least two to three weeks.
Ruled Out of Game Against Grizzlies
James has already been ruled out of the Lakers’ game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday due to his injury. This means that the Lakers will have to rely on Anthony Davis to step up as the team leader in James’ place.
With just over 20 games left in the regular season, losing James for any amount of time could be detrimental to the Lakers’ playoff hopes. James leads the Lakers in scoring at 29.5 points per game and has been a crucial part of their success this season. The Lakers continue to inch closer to playoff territory, but James’ absence could significantly impact their chances.
James’ Playoff Hopes
Earlier this month, James spoke about the importance of the team’s closing stretch of the season and his desire to make it to the playoffs. “The importance of this game and then the momentum that we had, I felt like we could steal one after being down,” he said. “I didn’t want to go to the locker room and not finish the game.”
Lakers fans will have to wait and see how long James will be out and how the team will perform in his absence. With the playoffs looming, the Lakers will need to find a way to win without their star player, putting pressure on the rest of the team to step up and fill the void left by James’ injury.
