LeBron James returned to the Lakers' lineup Sunday night after missing the last two games due to personal reasons and a left foot injury, telling reporters he feels “pretty good” while , the 40-year-old superstar also revealed that the condition of his foot is deteriorating. The wound hasn't gone away yet.
“It doesn't matter what's behind me,” James told reporters after the Lakers' 116-110 win over the Grizzlies. According to The Athletic. “It's a routine thing.”
The newspaper added that James had been battling a foot injury for several years.
Head coach JJ Redick previously said his absence was excused for “personal reasons.”
Redick told reporters Wednesday that James missed the season's first game against the Trail Blazers on Dec. 8 and will “take some time” to return because he was not with the team. He said that includes missing the second game Friday against the Timberwolves. .
But while he returned Sunday and scored 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting, he didn't contribute to his scoring average (23.0 points per game entering this night) and was on pace for James' rookie season. This was the lowest score since (20.9 points). .
At one point during this recent slump, James missed 20 consecutive 3-pointers, but in his last game before missing two games, he made 6 of 11 from beyond the arc, and on Sunday. added three more threes.
“The way my legs felt, the way my body felt…we did pregame training for the game against Portland that Sunday and decided it was probably best to rest that day,” James told reporters, according to the Associated Press. '' he told reporters. “I had an opportunity to give myself more days and get everything I wanted tonight, mentally and physically, and it worked out.”
James' son, Bronny, was selected by Los Angeles in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft and has bounced back and forth between the NBA and the G League, and the Lakers (14-12) won't play again until they play Thursday. Kings.
“It's very rare that you can take advantage of a schedule throughout the season, and we were able to do that last week,” James told reporters on Sunday.
