LeBron James is finally ready to make his season debut.
The Los Angeles Lakers star will return to the court Tuesday night for the first time when they host the Utah Jazz, according to ESPN.
James missed 14 games after being diagnosed with sciatica early October. Sciatica is pain that travels along the sciatic nerve in the lower back and legs, often caused by a herniated disc.
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James was injured during an on-court practice in late July or early August, and the Lakers have been cautious about his return. He also sat out during training camp due to glute soreness.
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“I got it two years ago. If you’ve had it then you know what it is. If you’ve never had it people make jokes about it, I pray you never get it”, James said about his sciatica on Monday. “It’s not fun.”
James was cleared to participate in contact basketball activities earlier this month and he slowly began to return. He participated in his first full practice with the Lakers shortly afterward, and he spent time practice 5-on-5 sessions with the Lakers’ G League affiliatethe South Bay Lakers.
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He was reassigned to the Lakers of the South Bay Lakers officially Monday and returned to practice with the Lakers in hopes of officially returning Tuesday night.
James, who turns 41 at the end of December, is still a key contributor for the Lakers. Last season, he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game while helping the team to a 50-32 record. They reached the playoffs for a third straight season, but fell in the first round.
With the Lakers already playing 14 games this season, James’ streak of playing 70 or more games – which he has done in each of the last two seasons – is ending. Before joining the Lakers, he had never played fewer than 62 games in a season. During his seven years in Los Angeles, he failed to play more than 60 games in three seasons, not including the bubble season.
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No matter how many regular season games James plays, the Lakers need him fully healthy for the playoffs. This past playoffs, he played in all five games before an eventual first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the fifth match, he suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in left knee. The injury would have kept James out for several weeks if the Lakers had moved forward.
In his absence, Lakers guards Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves led the team to a 10-4 record. Doncić averages 34.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game. Reaves is averaging 28.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game.
