LeBron Misses First Game Of Season Due To Muscle Strain; Christmas Day Status In Question

Lakers superstar LeBron James was really fresh and ready to win games. His team had a brilliant start to the regular season. He was healthy and in great shape, playing about 35 minutes per match. The king had yet to sit out a game due to an injury this season. Everything changed Sunday. King James missed his first game of the season because of a thoracic muscle strain. The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets, 128-104. Is this a coincidence?

LeBron missing a match wouldn’t normally be big news or something to worry about. However, last season he was limited to just 55 games due to a groin injury. LeBron had never played in fewer than 69 games before his groin injury so anything similar is making us ask questions, especially now that LeBron plays his 17th NBA season. There was a lot of wear and tear on his body after nearly two decades in the NBA. Moreover, the Lakers’ next game gives us chills. It’s a highly anticipated Christmas Day showdown against the Los Angeles Clippers. The game may be a Western Conference finals preview, and LeBron’s status is in question. 

The team is really dependent on LeBron and Anthony Davis. Los Angeles lost to the Indiana Pacers in one of its two games this season without Davis. The other game was a win over the Golden State Warriors. The gap in production is huge between the two superstars and the next Laker. Davis and LeBron combine for 53.5 points per contest this season. Kyle Kuzma is the next-highest Laker at 11.1 per game.

Given his age and his role in the franchise, the Lakers will definitely play carefully with LeBron and his return to action. The team wants him as healthy as possible ahead of the NBA playoffs. They may even risk a few games to keep him fresh and healthy. Will he suit up for the game against the Los Angeles Clippers? Every fan is looking forward to this game, and seeing LeBron at the sideline would be terrible. Let’s see what happens next.