LeBron James will miss opening night of his record 23rd NBA season due to sciatica, the Los Angeles Lakers announced Thursday. The 40-year-old superstar will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks and is expected to be out until at least the end of October.
The issue stems from pain in the nerves running from his lower back down his right leg. James hasn’t taken part in a full practice since training camp opened last week. Head coach JJ Redick told reporters that LeBron is “on his own timeline,” just an hour before the team officially released the injury update.
That timeline means LeBron will likely miss the Lakers’ first five or six games—and possibly more. The Lakers open the regular season at home on Oct. 21 against Golden State and play eight games in a 13-day span starting Oct. 24.
LeBron entered camp dealing with the lower-body nerve issue and has been sidelined since. He’s missed both preseason games so far while working individually to regain full strength and conditioning.
“You’ve got to play the cards you’re dealt,” Redick said. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s reality. No one has had any time with LeBron yet, and that affects everyone, not just the new guys.”
Redick and the team had hoped for a full camp with both LeBron and Luka Doncic, who joined the Lakers midseason last year. Instead, most of the team’s offensive work and chemistry-building has been happening without LeBron—and only partially with Doncic, who’s easing back after a busy summer at EuroBasket.
Doncic has participated in scrimmages and some full practices, but new center Deandre Ayton said Wednesday he’s eager to build more on-court chemistry with both stars. “It’s something I’ve been waiting on,” Ayton said. “We just have to be ready. JJ and the staff have a plan for us to keep growing together.”
LeBron has still been traveling with the team, joining them on preseason trips to Palm Desert and San Francisco, but sticking to individual drills and workouts.
Earlier this week, he caused a stir on social media by teasing “The Second Decision,” which turned out to be a promotion for a cognac brand.
As for his future, LeBron has said he’s unsure how much longer he’ll play, only hinting that retirement is “sooner than later.”
Redick had hoped both LeBron and Doncic would play at least one preseason game together as a “dress rehearsal” for the regular season, but that won’t happen. Doncic is still expected to appear in at least one of the Lakers’ remaining four preseason games, including two in Los Angeles.