Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is “turning over every stone” to return this season from his foot injury, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“From what I am told, LeBron is turning over every stone he possibly can from a treatment perspective to get that foot in position to return at some point this season,” Windhorst said.
James has not played for the Lakers since Feb. 26 against the Dallas Mavericks. He’s missed the team’s last five games, but Los Angeles has weathered the storm, going 3-2 in those matchups.
The four-time NBA champion reportedly was playing through the injury after initially getting hurt in January.
James, who is now the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, was doing all he could to keep the Lakers alive in the playoff mix, and it worked, as Los Angeles is now the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference.
The 19-time All-Star has appeared in 47 games for the Lakers this season and is averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game while shooting 50.1 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from beyond the arc.
The Lakers would love for James to be able to return prior to the end of the regular season, but it’s unclear exactly when he will be able to play again. The injury originally was expected to knock James out for a minimum of two weeks.
ESPN Sources: LeBron James’s right foot is expected to be reassessed in two weeks to see how much progress he’s made, but timeline on return expected to extend beyond that checkpoint. Where Lakers reside in standings by then could impact how soon it makes sense for him to return.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 28, 2023
The bright side for the Lakers is that James avoided surgery on the injury, which might allow him to return at some point this season.
For now, the team needs to focus on making a push for the playoffs. The Lakers are just 1.5 games back of the No. 6 seed Golden State Warriors.
With James sidelined, Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Dennis Schroder, Malik Beasley and others are being called upon to step up for the Lakers.
Injuries have been a problem for James the past few seasons, but when he’s been healthy, he’s still been one of the best players in the league.
If the Lakers can get him back for the playoffs, they will be an extremely dangerous team to face.
