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NBA fans may have to wait a little longer than expected to see LeBron James debut for his 23rd season.
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers confirmed that James suffered from sciatica. The team expects him to miss the next three to four weeks. Lakers head coach JJ Redick added that James is “on his own schedule.”
James had already missed both preseason games this month with a lower-body injury. He did not fully participate in training camp practices due to what Redick described in late September as “a little bit of a nervous irritation in my glute.”
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James appears during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, file)
Redick added that the NBA’s all-time minutes leader “probably needs a little more time before opening night.”
According to Johns Hopkins, sciatica, also known as lumbar radiculopathy, “is pain that originates along the sciatic nerve” and radiates down the back of the affected person’s leg.
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The Lakers have four games remaining on their preseason schedule. James’ latest setback will force him to miss the entire exhibition roster for the first time in his NBA career.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James sits on the bench during the first half of a game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, Calif., Thursday, April 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Earlier this week, James revealed that his much-teased “second decision” had nothing to do with his basketball future. Instead, a social media rollout launched an ad campaign for a limited-edition Hennessy bottle inspired by James’ iconic coronation gesture.
Lebron James (23) of the Los Angeles Lakers watches the Golden State Warriors during a timeout in the second half of an NBA preseason game at Chase Center on October 5, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Lakers went 6-6 in games without James during the 2024-25 season.
The Golden State Warriors will visit the Lakers on October 21 to open the regular season for both teams.
