Lakers' LeBron James Says a Full Offseason Will 'Work Wonders' For Him After Injuries

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James said an offseason of rest and recovery will "work wonders" after the team was eliminated from the 2021 NBA playoffs by the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night.

James was sidelined from March 20 through April 30 with a right high-ankle sprain, and he never looked all the way back to his typically dominant self in the latter stages of the regular season or the postseason.

"Everything else [besides the ankle] feels extremely well," he told reporters.

The 36-year-old four-time NBA MVP did everything in his power to keep the Lakers competitive despite being hobbled. He averaged 23.3 points, 8.0 assists, 7.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals in the first-round series while playing 37.3 minutes per contest.

L.A. didn't have the offensive depth necessary to keep pace with Phoenix after Anthony Davis suffered a groin injury in Game 4, though. He missed Game 5 and was limited to five minutes in Game 6, and the rest of the team failed to pick up the slack.

The potential for injuries was a major concern for the Lakers coming into the season because of the short turnaround. They clinched the 2020 NBA title on Oct. 11, and they opened the 2020-21 season on Dec. 22, a mere 10 weeks to rest and recharge for the new campaign.

Those concerns came to fruition during the season's second half as Davis also missed an extended stretch from Feb. 14 through April 22 because of calf and Achilles injuries.

A healthy Lakers squad would have featured enough talent to make a serious bid at back-to-back titles, but James and Davis both operating below full strength helped lead to the early exit.

James would typically shift his focus toward leading Team USA at the Olympics this summer, but he appeared to suggest he'll skip the Tokyo Games to focus on recovery and promotion of his new movie, Space Jam: A New Legacy, which is scheduled for a July 16 release:

The 17-time All-Star should benefit from a more typical four-month break between seasons with the 2021-22 campaign scheduled to begin in mid-to-late October.

James had continued to perform at an MVP level before the ankle injury, and there's no reason to believe he won't be among the NBA's best players again next season.