LeBron James will reportedly make his 2025-26 season debut against the Jazz after missing 14 games due to sciatica
LeBron James is finally ready to make his season debut.
According to ESPN, the Los Angeles Lakers star will return to the court Tuesday night for the first time when they host the Utah Jazz.
James missed 14 games after being diagnosed with sciatica in early October. Sciatica is pain that travels along the sciatic nerve in the lower back and legs, often caused by a herniated disc.
Announcement
James was injured during an on-court workout in late July or early August, and the Lakers were cautious about bringing him back. He also sat out the training camp due to pain in his buttocks.
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“I had it two years ago. If you’ve had it, then you know what the hell it is. If you’ve never had it, if people joke about it, I pray you never get it,” James said of his sciatica on Monday. “It’s not funny.”
James was cleared for contact basketball activities earlier this month and has slowly begun to work his way back. Soon afterward he participated in his first full practice with the Lakers and spent time practicing in 5-on-5 sessions with the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.
Announcement
He was officially reassigned to the Lakers from the South Bay Lakers on Monday and returned to practice with the Lakers with hopes of officially returning Tuesday night.
James, who turns 41 at the end of December, is still a key player for the Lakers. Last season, he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game, helping the team to a 50-32 record. They reached the postseason for the third consecutive season, but fell in the first round.
With the Lakers having already played 14 games this season, James’ streak of playing 70 or more – which he has done in each of the last two seasons – comes to an end. Before joining the Lakers, he had never played fewer than 62 games in a season. In his seven years in Los Angeles, he failed to play more than 60 games in three seasons, not including the bubble season.
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No matter how many games James plays in the regular season, the Lakers need him fully healthy for the playoffs. Last season, he played in all five games before losing in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves. During Game 5, he suffered a grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee. The injury would have kept James out for several weeks if the Lakers had advanced.
In his absence, Lakers guards Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves led the team to a 10-4 record. Dončić is averaging 34.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game. Reaves is averaging 28.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game.