NBA: LeBron James' status up in air as Lakers oppose Knicks

LOS ANGELES – LeBron James has shown few signs of ageing despite being a month past his 38th birthday and playing in his 20th National Basketball Association season.

But Father Time may keep him from taking the court on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning, Singapore time) when James’ Los Angeles Lakers are slated to visit the New York Knicks in the first game of the season between the bicoastal rivals.

The Lakers will be completing a back-to-back set in New York after falling 121-104 to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.

James sat out the loss due to a left ankle injury. Lakers coach Darvin Ham said on Monday afternoon that the soreness in James’ foot is “really significant” and that the 18-time All-Star would need to be re-evaluated again.

The star forward has missed 11 games this season due to a variety of injuries but is averaging 30.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game – just shy of his best single-season marks in each category.

He averaged 31.4 points when he was in Cleveland in 2005-06 and pulled down 8.6 rebounds per game for the Cavaliers in both 2016-17 and 2017-18.

In his most recent game, James flirted with a triple-double on Saturday and finished with 41 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the Lakers’ 125-121 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics.

The 74th 40-point effort of his career moved James within 117 points of surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most in NBA history.

“When you strip it down, you look at just the sheer number of years and the ability for him to produce – I’m not sure we will see it again,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said on Monday.

One of James’ teammates made a bit of history on his own on Monday as Russell Westbrook passed Hall of Famer Gary Payton for 10th place on the NBA’s all-time assist list.

Westbrook now has 8,972 assists after racking up 10 at Brooklyn. Payton finished with 8,966.

“In the NBA, never dreamt of being in this position, nor getting to the point to where I’m next to some of the greats,” Westbrook said.

“I’m just truly grateful and thankful for an opportunity to keep playing at the highest level and I don’t take any of that for granted.”

In addition to playing without James on Monday, the Lakers were missing Anthony Davis (right foot maintenance).

Los Angeles fell 2.5 games behind 10th-placed Utah Jazz in the Western Conference and 3.5 games behind the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks, who are in a virtual tie for fifth – and the last two guaranteed play-off spots – in the Western Conference.

The Knicks will be looking to snap out of their latest valley in what has become a roller coaster of a season.

The 122-115 loss to the Nets on Saturday was the fifth in seven games for the Knicks, who have given up at least 115 points in six of those contests.

They preceded their current skid by winning seven of eight from Dec 31 through Jan 15, a stretch in which they never allowed more than 114 points.

In December, New York went on an eight-game winning streak before enduring a five-game losing streak.

Add it all up and the Knicks are trying to avoid the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference.

They enter the clash with the Lakers in seventh place – a game behind the Miami Heat and 3.5 games clear of 11th-placed Indiana Pacers.

Although James is unlikely to play, the pre-game talk in the Knicks camp was still all about him.

“To me, there’s a lot of Michael (Jordan) in him and there’s a lot of Magic (Johnson) in him... and there’s him,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.

“You hate to compare players with each other and all that, and I still don’t think you’re gonna be able to truly measure him until he’s done.

“But still to be doing it at this age, and the way he’s taken care of himself, that’s a remarkable achievement.” REUTERS