LeBron James Says He Played with Partially Torn Groin Injury Last Season

Lakers superstar LeBron James plays his best defense in years, and it’s all because of his excellent physical condition. The Laker suffered a groin injury last season, and was limited to 55 games. The young players couldn’t handle the pressure of the regular season. Well, LeBron returned at some point of the season, but he couldn’t help the team make the playoffs. It was a terrible debut season for the big player, and he had to play with a partially torn groin.

LeBron talked to media members after the Lakers’ win over the San Antonio Spurs. He said, “Playing with a torn groin last year—even when I came back it was still partially torn—it was difficult to be able to move and shift like I’m capable of doing that defensively. For me, I just take the challenge. I love being challenged. Coach [Frank Vogel] challenged me, AD [Anthony Davis] challenged me, I challenged myself. I put a lot of hard work into my offseason by getting my quick twitch, getting my bounce back, getting my speed back, my reaction time back. My mind has always been there. That’s what it’s all about.”

King James leads the NBA in defensive efficiency (96.3) in their first six games. According to ESPN Stats & Info, LeBron contests 70 percent of shot attempts where he’s the primary defender. That’s a huge leap from 54 percent last season.

“Well it’s contagious, and his commitment on that end of the floor has been a great surprise for us in terms of just how proficient he’s been,” Vogel said. “He’s leading the charge with care factor on that end of the floor. When he’s working that hard and caring that much about getting stops, it carries over to everybody else, and you see it on the floor.”

The Lakers go big this season, and it was about time that they put things under control. It’s an important season for LeBron, because he was hit with an unhealthy dose of criticism last season. He is ready to prove everyone wrong this time. Game on, King James! The season is yours!