On Monday, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James offered an encouraging update on the foot injury that impacted him last season.
According to the man himself, his foot is back to its pre-injury levels.
LeBron: "I was able to get my foot back to where it was before the injury last year."
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) October 2, 2023
James appeared in just 55 games in the 2022-23 regular season, meaning he hasn’t reached the 60-game benchmark since his second season in a Lakers uniform.
L.A. plans to carefully manage the veteran’s minutes and offensive workload this coming season, so with any luck, he’ll be able to avoid extended absences. Last season, there was a stretch where he missed 13 games in a row.
A healthy James is important for multiple reasons. In addition to the fact that the Lakers need him to be available, they also need him to feel like he can play freely and without physical limitations.
The future Hall of Famer averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game during the 2022-23 regular season while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from beyond the arc.
In the playoffs, he averaged 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game on 49.8 percent shooting from the field and 26.4 percent from deep. His contributions helped the Lakers make a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals, where they fell to the Denver Nuggets in four games.
The Lakers have had a very productive offseason, giving themselves a chance to be major factors in the West this coming season. It sounds like that’s part of the reason why James is back for a 21st NBA campaign.
LeBron on why he chose to return for a 21st season:
"The job that Coach Ham and Rob did, that inspired me. We got a really good team and did a great job in the summer."
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) October 2, 2023
New additions like Gabe Vincent, Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes and others have pumped new optimism into the squad, and some expect L.A. to challenge for a spot in the NBA Finals.
While plenty of other contenders around the NBA have had successful offseasons themselves, it seems like the Lakers have done enough to remain in the title conversation as the campaign inches closer.
Los Angeles will open its season on Oct. 24 against the Nuggets in a rematch of the Western Conference Finals. After that, a date with the Phoenix Suns awaits on Oct. 26, giving the Lakers two early chances to see how they measure up against legitimate championship contenders.
