Over the course of the 2023-24 NBA regular season, superstar forward LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers has been able to stay relatively healthy and available for his team, which is something he really hasn’t been able to do consistently since joining the storied franchise.
James hasn’t played more than 67 regular-season games during his stint with the Lakers, but he’s already up to 62 games before sitting out Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first game of a six-game road trip.
The four-time NBA champion has averaged just over 55 regular-season games a year in the five previous seasons in Los Angeles, which means things are trending up, but his ankle injury is flaring up with only a handful of games left in the 2023-24 campaign.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham gave some clarity on James’ ankle injury in terms of whether he’ll be able to play in the second game of a back-to-back against the Memphis Grizzlies.
“Darvin Ham says LeBron James experienced discomfort in his ankle coming off the IND game, so was held out tonight. The team has not made a determination on James’ availability tomorrow in MEM – it will depend on how James’ ankle responds to rest and treatment in the meantime,” he tweeted.
Darvin Ham says LeBron James experienced discomfort in his ankle coming off the IND game, so was held out tonight. The team has not made a determination on James’ availability tomorrow in MEM – it will depend on how James’ ankle responds to rest and treatment in the meantime.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 26, 2024
As the Lakers head down the final stretch of the regular season and aim to secure the best seeding in the Western Conference as possible, the team won’t want to push it with James and his ankle, as they’ll need him as close to 100% as possible if the team has any hope of making some noise in the Play-In Tournament and the playoffs.
Only time will tell if James’ ankle will hold up and if the Lakers can make another magical run in the postseason like they did last year.
NEXT:
Lakers Could Get Notable Boost During 6-Game Road Trip