LeBron James has played 22 season openers in a row. Year 23 will not have that same kind of magic for the Los Angeles Lakers superstar after it was revealed the injury that has kept James out of preseason action is more serious than inititally thought.
Shams Charania reported on Twitter/X, “Lakers star LeBron James is sidelined for at least 3 to 4 weeks due to sciatica on his right side. He is out for the start of the 2025-26 NBA season.”
The original assessment of his injury was nerve irritation in the glute. Sciatica is still a nerve issue, the severity of it is just a little more rough, as evidenced by the extended absence period indicated by Charania and the team. JJ Redick told reporters James would be on his own timeline.
Los Angeles will open the 2025-26 regular season hosting the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 21. What originally should have been a duel involving the two greatest superstars of their generation, LeBron and Stephen Curry, will now turn into a night for the Lakers to figure out what life without James looks like.
Lakers face reality of building an identity that can survive without LeBron
James has been a model of consistency throughout his NBA career. His longevity is unmatched by any other player to have ever stepped on a basketball court.
Is this Father Time finally catching up to the all-time great? Probably (hopefully) not. However, James has been more prone to being banged up in the latter years of his long career. This injury should be a very telling sign for his camp and the Lakers organization to exercise the maximum amount of caution that can be given to the 40-year-old.
James is slated to miss more than opening night. If the Lakers superstar is set to be reevaluated in about three to four weeks, LeBron could miss all the matchups in October.
This will force the Lakers to create a team structure and pecking order that knows how to operate without their second best player. Luka Doncic should still be more than capable of keeping the team afloat. It’s about figuring out everything else next to him.
Austin Reaves will naturally be the second option with James absent. There are bigger questions to answer beyond that obvious one.
What ends up being the starting lineup with James out? How do the Lakers spread out their offensive opportunities after Doncic and Reaves? How does Redick manage his minutes to ensure a creator is always on the floor to guide the Lakers offense?
There are plenty more questions that could be asked. Some are much easier to answer than others. The Lakers will need to figure them out in any case.
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