LOS ANGELES – LeBron James could face multiple weeks on the sidelines after suffering a foot injury, US media reported on Monday, dealing a blow to the Los Angeles Lakers’ hopes of forcing their way into the National Basketball Association (NBA) play-offs.
The Lakers confirmed that the NBA’s all-time leading scorer would only play no part in the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday (Wednesday morning, Singapore time) due to “right foot soreness”.
However, multiple US media said that the Lakers feared that James would be sidelined for multiple weeks after injuring his foot in last Sunday’s comeback win over the Dallas Mavericks.
The superstar forward played on after landing awkwardly on his foot in the third quarter but was later seen limping away from the venue following the game.
James later said he was determined not to leave the game in a bid to help the recently revitalised Lakers claim victory.
“I definitely wasn’t going to go to the locker room and not finish the game out tonight, I understood the importance of the game,” he said after the win.
“We’ll monitor (the foot) the next couple days, see how it feels and go from there.”
ESPN reported on Monday that James was undergoing further “testing and conversations” to determine the extent of the injury. The Athletic also reported that he would seek multiple medical opinions to determine his status.
The 38-year-old has missed 14 of the Lakers’ 61 games this season with various ailments, but when he is fit, he has been in blistering form, averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists while also breaking the NBA’s all-time scoring record in early February.
After a shaky start to the season, the Lakers have improved markedly in recent weeks following a flurry of roster moves that has strengthened the team’s line-up.
Los Angeles remain 12th in the Western Conference with a 29-32 record, but a congested table means they are well within striking distance of securing a play-off spot.
If James is indeed ruled out for several weeks, the Lakers will depend mostly on Anthony Davis to stay fit and carry the team to the play-offs.
D’Angelo Russell, meanwhile, is also out with an ankle injury and will miss Tuesday’s game. AFP, REUTERS
