James accumulated 10 points (3-10 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 3-4 FT) and three assists over 31 minutes during Monday's 125-108 loss to the Suns.
The Lakers were a perfect 4-0 with James in the lineup before Monday night, but the 23-year veteran mustered just 10 points and three assists for the entire game in a losing effort. Across five games, James has scored more than 20 points only once. While the trend of lower scoring totals for the Lakers star may continue, low rebounding and assist totals are likely still an anomaly.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Good to go Monday
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James (foot) is available for Monday's game against Phoenix, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
After missing Sunday's win over the Pelicans, which was the front end of a back-to-back set, James is no longer appearing on the injury report. With the veteran being well rested, it's unlikely he will face restrictions against the Suns.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Ruled out Sunday
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James (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Pelicans, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
James will sit out the front end of Los Angeles' back-to-back set due to left foot injury management, and he'll look to return in Monday's tilt against Phoenix. With the superstar sidelined, Jake LaRavia and Maxi Kleber are candidates for increased minutes, while Jarred Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht could enter the rotation.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Questionable for Sunday
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James is questionable for Sunday's game against the Pelicans due to left foot injury management, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
This shouldn't be much of a surprise, as James is 40 years old and coming off an injury that sidelined him in the preseason and the early stages of the 2025-26 campaign. Considering this game against the Pelicans is the first of a back-to-back set for the Lakers, the team is doing its due diligence by monitoring the workload of the star forward. James is averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game in four outings this season.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Drops season-high 25 in win
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James closed with 25 points (9-15 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), six rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal in 32 minutes during Tuesday's 135-118 victory over the Clippers.
The 25 points represented James' best output in three games since making his belated season debut. The future Hall of Famer is averaging 17.7 points, 8.7 assists, 5.0 boards, 1.3 threes and 1.0 steals in 32.0 minutes a game so far, and while the Lakers will be cautious with the 40-year-old's workload, James is still more than capable of posting strong numbers when he's on the court.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Rounding into form
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James ended Sunday's 108-106 victory over Utah with 17 points (8-18 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds, eight assists and one steal over 34 minutes.
After attempting just seven shots in his season debut Tuesday, James saw his volume get back to normal in his first road game. The future Hall of Famer played at least 30 minutes in both contests, but the next real test for James' workload will come next week, when the Lakers play back-to-back games at home Sunday against the Mavs and Monday against the Pelicans. So far, however, the sciatica that delayed the start of his record-setting 23rd NBA campaign hasn't flared back up.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Sets records in season debut
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James (sciatica) logged 11 points (4-7 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 1-4 FT), 12 assists, three rebounds and one steal across 30 minutes in Tuesday's 140-126 win over Utah.
After having dealt with sciatica on his right side since shortly before the start of training camp and missing the Lakers' first 14 games, James was cleared to make his season debut when he experienced no lingering effects of the injury following a full practice Monday. In so doing, James became the first player in NBA history to play in a 23rd season. He then moved up the all-time leaderboard in another category as the game unfolded, with his pair of triples on the night allowing him to surpass Reggie Miller for sixth place in career three-pointers made. Though the 40-year-old may still be subject to some occasional rest days -- particularly for one half of back-to-back sets -- as he works to regain his full conditioning, James should be ready to take on at least a couple extra minutes in the Lakers' next game, a rematch with Utah on Sunday.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Will play Tuesday
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James (sciatica) will play in Tuesday's game against the Jazz, NBA reporter Chris Haynes reports.
James will make his season debut after missing nearly the first month of the season due to sciatica on his right side. It wouldn't be surprising to see the superstar forward operate under a minutes restriction, and his return could mean fewer minutes for Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht and Jake LaRavia. James has continued to play at an elite level in the latter stages of his career, and over 70 regular-season appearances in 2024-25, the 40-year-old averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 34.9 minutes per game.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Expected to play Tuesday
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James (sciatica) remains listed as questionable but is aiming to make his season debut Tuesday against the Jazz, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
The Lakers called James a game-time decision following morning shootaround, but after he avoided any setbacks coming out of the workout, he now appears to be trending toward making his season debut Tuesday. Fantasy managers planning on activating James for Tuesday will want to confirm that he's included in the lineup ahead of the 10:30 p.m. ET tipoff, and some restrictions with his minutes should be expected if he gets the green light to play.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Remains game-time call
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James (back) remains a game-time call Tuesday against the Jazz, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.
James participated in the morning shootaround, but he's still listed as questionable on the official injury report. Presumably, he will warm up and see how he feels before a final decision is made. If he gets the green light to return, James is likely to have restrictions during his season debut.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Game-time call vs. Jazz
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James (back) is questionable for Tuesday's game against Utah, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times reports.
James was recalled from the G League's South Bay Lakers on Sunday and continues to trend in the right direction. He was a full participant in Monday's practice and evidently fared well, as L.A. has officially listed him as questionable ahead of Tuesday's matchup. The team should provide another update closer to tipoff on whether the 40-year-old is ready to make his 2025-26 debut.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Goes through practice Monday
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James (back) was a full participant at Monday's practice, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
James recently returned from a G League stint in which he was able to get some extra practice reps in, and it sounds like he's continuing to progress. Coach JJ Redick wasn't ready to discuss James' availability for Tuesday's game against the Jazz, but a questionable tag could be on the table. More clarity will be known once the Lakers release their official injury report.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Set for full practice Monday
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The Lakers recalled James (lower back) from the G League's South Bay Lakers on Sunday, and he's slated to be a full participant in Monday's practice, Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin of ESPN report.
James has yet to make his season debut while recovering from sciatica that had affected his lower back and right side of his body, though he's trending in the right direction after spending time over the past week practicing with the Lakers' G League affiliate. The 40-year-old superstar reportedly "looked great" and "moved well" during his recent sessions, and if all goes well Monday, he could have a chance at playing in Tuesday's home game against the Jazz. However, the Lakers have four straight days off after Tuesday's game, so the team may be incentivized to give James additional time to rest up following Monday's practice before having him make his debut in a rematch with the Jazz on the road next Sunday.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Practices Thursday
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James was again able to get through full-contact, 5-on-5 work at Thursday's practice with the G League's South Bay Lakers, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
This is the second practice with South Bay that James has been able to get through without issue, and according to McMenamin, James' Thursday workout was "intense." The Lakers will hold a Monday practice when they return from their road trip, and if James continues to progress, he could join the team for that one.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Goes through 5-on-5 work
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James (back) took part in 5-on-5 drills while practicing with the G League's South Bay Lakers on Wednesday, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
James has been sidelined all season while recovering from sciatica on his right side, but he took a meaningful step toward making his 2025-26 debut by getting in his first practice of the campaign Wednesday. With the Lakers in the midst of a five-game road trip, James will likely continue to practice with South Bay over the next few days before the parent club returns to Los Angeles following Saturday's tilt in Milwaukee. Head coach JJ Redick wasn't willing to commit to James taking part in practice with the Lakers on Monday, making it unclear if the 21-time All-Star will be available for Tuesday's home game against the Jazz.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Practicing in G League on Wednesday
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James (back) will practice with the G League's South Bay Lakers on Wednesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
James will log his first practice of the season and will be recalled after the practice. The 40-year-old is moving on to the next phase of his rehab from sciatica on his right side, an issue that first cropped up over the summer. Previous reports have suggested that James could be cleared to make his season debut next Tuesday against the Jazz once the Lakers return from their five-game road trip, though his availability for that contest will be contingent on him responding well to his increased workload in practice over the next few days.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Cleared for contact
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ESPN's Shams Charania reported Thursday that James (back) has been cleared for contact basketball activities.
James' next step is to be cleared for 5-on-5 action, and he's scheduled to be re-evaluated in one to two weeks. Charania reported Wednesday that James won't travel on Los Angeles' five-game road trip, so his earliest possible return date remains Nov. 18 against the Jazz.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Won't travel on five-game trip
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James (back) will not travel with the team on their upcoming five-game road trip, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
James has been targeting a mid-November return, but he needs to complete full-contact, 5-on-5 work before he's cleared to play, and that won't happen while he's away from the team. The Lakers return from their road trip Nov. 16, and then play Nov. 18 at home against the Jazz, leaving little time for James to get in some quality practices.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Eyeing mid-November return
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James (sciatica) isn't expected to make his 2025-26 debut until around mid-November, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
James has been dealing with a nerve issue since early August, and the injury is expected to keep him sidelined until mid-November. Charania also noted that James and the Lakers will be patient with the recovery process. The 40-year-old will be re-evaluated Oct. 30, at which point a more specific timeline for return may be revealed. It's unclear who'll step in to the starting lineup in place of James, though Jarred Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia appear to be the likeliest candidates.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Nerve issue cropped up in summer
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James (sciatica) began to deal with his nerve issue after an on-court workout before the start of training camp, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
James has been nursing the injury since early August, and he's been unable to participate in most of this fall's training camp. The superstar forward will need more time to ramp up his activity, meaning he is unlikely to make his season debut until November. Jarred Vanderbilt stands out as the most likely choice to replace James in the Opening Night starting lineup.
