LeBron James has continued to disprove all his doubters heading into Year 21. However, fans should begin to wonder about the toll that his play is taking on his body. As most members of the basketball community should be aware, King James is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers and has been playing at a high level in order to keep them progressing through the Western Conference.
Claiming that LeBron is playing at a high level might be underselling it. After all, he has already had multiple 30-point games over the first stretch of the NBA season. There is no denying that James is the reason that the Lakers currently hold a record of 8 wins and 6 losses, giving them the 6th position in their conference.
However, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer revealed that he is playing at an elite level while dealing with an injury. Since fans who watched him play recently might struggle to understand that he was compromised, let us take a closer look at what LeBron has to say about his own physical condition.
LeBron James claims to be playing through a serious injury
Since LeBron has incredibly high standards and expectations set by himself and others, fans might be underestimating what it takes for him to be the best player on the Lakers and lead them to victory in Year 21. In the 13 games played so far this season, King James has been averaging 26.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
His offense numbers are barely a tick down when compared to last season. However, the Lakers star revealed that he is currently trying to find his rhythm through injury, ” I’m in a really good groove right now. I don’t feel that great right now, dealing with a couple of injuries, a little bit under the weather right now…the competition got me going a little bit.”
LeBron James Claims He’s Playing Through Injuries After 37-Point Night Against The Rockets https://t.co/MhK48PIR1A
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 20, 2023
As we can tell from this quote, LeBron is trying to stay optimistic about his condition and current situation. However, this should make his team ask themselves a very important question regarding their future.
Can the Lakers win without LeBron at his best?
Although LeBron is best known for his longevity and durability, he is clearly not the same player approaching the back end of his career. Over the past few years, King James has missed a significant amount of time due to injury. He also appeared to injure his calf earlier this season against the Phoenix Suns.
Ever since then, LeBron has been listed as questionable on the injury report. Be that as it may, he has continued to play through this injury over the past few games and is keeping the Lakers’ momentum going. However, the team should wonder what position they would be in if LeBron didn’t play through his injuries and how far they can go if he ends up getting seriously injured.
In order for the Lakers to win the title, they will need a healthy LeBron and Anthony Davis on the court. By that very logic, the team is not expected to go too deep into the postseason and have any impact if Lebron is compromised. We look forward to seeing how he continues to play this season and the measures taken to ensure his recovery.
