Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is expected to sit out the 2025-26 NBA preseason due to a nerve issue in his glute, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday on NBA Today.
The Lakers are still hoping James will be ready to play by the time the regular season tips off on Oct. 21 against the visiting Golden State Warriors, Charania said.
James, 40, is heading into his record 23rd NBA season and his eighth with the Lakers.
He has been sitting out training camp due to what Lakers head coach J.J. Redick described as “nerve irritation to the glute.”
“I think it’s probably a little bit longer of a ramp-up leading into opening night for him,” Redick said last Tuesday (h/t ESPN’s Dave McMenamin). “Obviously, in Year 23, uncharted territory here… he’s got 22 years so far of wear and tear on the body.”
Redick added he believed James “did too much” in training camp last year, and that the Lakers wanted to “play the long game” with his build-up to the season.
James appeared in 70 games for the Lakers last season, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists while playing almost 35 minutes per night when available.
He also averaged 25.4 points in five playoff games before the Lakers were eliminated from the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 2025-26 NBA season could potentially be the last time the Lakers are able to deploy James alongside fellow star Luka Dončić.
Dončić signed an extension this offseason that made him the de facto future face of the franchise, while James is set to return to Los Angeles and play his age-41 season on an expiring contract.
James’ agent Rich Cimini told Charania in June that his client “values a realistic chance” of winning a championship in the near future when deciding where he wants to finish out the season.
Making sure James is as healthy as possible to start the season will allow the Lakers to maximize their time with both superstars while potentially giving the franchise a better shot at convincing the NBA’s all-time leading scorer to finish out the season in Los Angeles.
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