Lakers reveal severity of LeBron James’ latest injury as team’s playoff hopes dwindle

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James left Wednesday’s game with an injury, and head coach Darvin Ham recently provided an update on the matter.

James has a strained left abductor, according to Ham, and is considered day-to-day. Unfortunately, the 18-time All-Star is doubtful for Friday’s game against the Sacramento Kings, and it sounds like he could also miss Sunday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.

It’s an untimely setback for James and the Lakers, especially since Friday’s game against the Kings seemed like a really winnable contest for L.A. before the news. While the Lakers can certainly still beat the Kings, it’s going to be a tricker task if James is out.

The 37-year-old put together a solid performance in Wednesday’s game. He dropped 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and his shot looked probably the best it has all season. He went 4-for-9 from beyond the arc and 12-for-22 from the field.

Unfortunately, the performance wasn’t enough to get the Lakers a victory, as they lost by 13 to the Los Angeles Clippers. The defeat extended L.A.’s losing streak to four and dropped the team to 2-9 overall.

If James is out Friday (and perhaps Sunday as well), the team will obviously need big performances from Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. L.A. will likely need some other unexpected heroes to step up as well.

It’s certainly good news that James’ injury doesn’t seem to be a long-term issue, but any sort of setback is a big one for the Lakers right now. The team is already on the verge of drowning in the Western Conference, and if things keep getting worse in the coming days, there might be no hope for L.A. this season.

James’ age has started to show a bit lately, and his availability has undoubtedly taken a hit in recent years. However, he’s still a productive player and has plenty left to offer, and Lakers fans would be incredibly disappointed to see their team waste two straight seasons of the future Hall of Famer’s career.