LeBron James has missed two consecutive Los Angeles Lakers games, with uncertainty surrounding his return to the team.
The NBA superstar was absent from Friday night’s defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to what coach JJ Redick described as personal reasons.
This followed James’ previous absence from Sunday’s victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, where he was sidelined with soreness in his left foot.
The 39-year-old, who is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has now missed two of his team’s 25 games this season, despite earlier expressing his ambition to play in all 82 regular-season matches.
LeBron James has missed the last games for the Lakers
Reuters
When questioned before the Timberwolves game about James’ potential return date, Lakers coach JJ Redick offered a notably brief response.
“No,” was Redick’s sole reply when asked if he knew when James would be back with the team.
The coach’s non-committal answer has only added to the uncertainty surrounding the Lakers star’s availability.
James has been away from the Lakers since Wednesday, with the team providing no additional details beyond citing personal reasons for his most recent absence.
Despite his recent absences, James has maintained impressive statistics this season, averaging 23 points, 8 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game.
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LeBron James had insisted he would play every game this season
Reuters
The team’s form has been particularly concerning, having lost eight of their past 11 games, indicating a difficult period for the franchise.
James, who turns 40 on 30 December, has seen his goal of playing all 82 regular-season games already derailed by these early-season absences.
The Lakers will look to halt their poor run of form when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
Their most recent defeat, a 97-87 loss at the Target Centre in Minnesota, highlighted their ongoing struggles without James.
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Anthony Davis led the Lakers’ effort in James’ absence, contributing 23 points and 11 rebounds against the Timberwolves.
The Minnesota defeat proved particularly costly, as the Timberwolves claimed their fifth win in six games, powered by Anthony Edwards’ 23-point performance.
The upcoming clash with Memphis represents a crucial opportunity for the Lakers to reverse their fortunes, though uncertainty remains over James’ availability for the fixture.
The game is scheduled for Sunday, with a 02:30 GMT Monday start time for UK viewers.
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