LeBron James Out for Lakers vs. Mavericks with Ankle Injury Suffered vs. Pelicans

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will miss Tuesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks because of a sprained ankle.

The injury came in Los Angeles' 116-108 defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.

The 2021-22 season will likely be remembered as one of the most disappointing in recent memory for the Lakers, but James has at least provided a steady source of entertainment.

The 18-time All-Star is averaging 30.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists. This year has been a return to his early days with the Cleveland Cavaliers, when a herculean effort was often required to get his team across the finish line.

No amount of heroics from James can fully compensate for Los Angeles' glaring flaws, though. Plenty of ink has been spilled laying out how the organization got here so soon after winning the NBA championship in 2020.

The Lakers can't even count on the 37-year-old to be the iron man he has been in years past. After the four-time MVP missed a contest against the Philadelphia 76ers because of knee soreness, ESPN's Dave McMenamin noted he had been absent for the equivalent of nearly an entire season since signing with L.A.

The bottom may not drop out enough for the Lakers to miss out on the playoffs altogether, but any additional time James misses means the likelihood of finishing ninth or 10th rises.