Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham told NBA reporters that superstar LeBron James is dealing with “severe soreness” in his left ankle.
LeBron didn’t play last night (3/8) against the Milwaukee Bucks. The four-time MVP limped off the court and into the locker room in the waning minutes of the Lakers’ 130-120 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday (3/6).
“Just experiencing some severe soreness and we just decided for him not to play tonight,” Ham said, via ESPN. “I think it’s caused by 21 years of service. It’s a day-by-day thing and we’re going to treat it as such and see how he feels tomorrow.”
The oldest player in the NBA this season (39), LeBron is averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists for the Lakers while shooting 52.8% from the floor, 40.5% from 3 and 74.1% from the foul line. He has 19 double-doubles and three triple-doubles in 56 starts.
“I’ll be all right,” LeBron said after the Kings game. “It’s just my ankle. It’s just what I’ve been dealing with before the [All-Star] break, after the break. I’m just managing it the best way I can.
“I played the whole third, sat a little bit to start the fourth, and when I got back in, it kind of just — whatever. It’s just something I’ve been dealing with. … Some games are better than others. I didn’t feel it at all against OKC [on Monday]. And I didn’t feel it at all until the fourth quarter tonight. So, each game, each day is different.”
The Lakers are 35-30 on the season. They are in ninth place in the Western Conference standings.
It’s unknown yet if LeBron will play against the Minnesota Timberwolves tomorrow (3/10). According to NBA reporter Dave McMenamin of ESPN, LeBron’s left ankle pain is being caused by “wear and tear.”
