Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James had some worrisome comments on his knee injury that forced him to miss time earlier this month.
Lebron on his knee pic.twitter.com/03O2BxQ3l9
— Ralph Mason (@Ralph_MasonJr) February 16, 2022
“It’s the same as my ankle,” James said, referencing the ankle injury he suffered during the 2020-21 season. “When I had the high ankle sprain last year. I think it was last year. The only way it’ll be back to full strength is rest, and I don’t have the luxury of having rest.”
That’s the last thing that Lakers fans want to hear, as James was never able to get fully healthy last season from his ankle sprain, and the Lakers were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round.
For now, it appears that James is willing to play through the injury, but Los Angeles is still struggling to make up any ground in the Western Conference standings.
The Lakers are just 26-31 in the 2021-22 season, but they are much worse when James is unable to play. In the 17 games that James has missed this season, the Lakers have gone just 6-11. They are 20-20 when he is in the lineup.
When he’s been healthy enough to play, James has been one of the best players in the NBA this season. He is averaging 29.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while shooting 52.0 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from beyond the arc.
The Lakers are hoping that James can manage the pain in his knee to play the rest of the season, as it is likely the team’s only shot of making the playoffs.
James and the Lakers would be in the league’s play-in tournament if the season ended today, as they have the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference.
James has played in four straight games since missing five in a row with the knee issue, and he appears to be on track to play for the Lakers again on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz.
