Lakers' LeBron James: 'I'll Be Fine' After Suffering Hand Injury at NBA All-Star Game

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James told reporters he expects to be "fine" after missing the second half of the 2023 NBA All-Star Game with a right hand contusion

"I'll be fine," James told reporters. "I don't think it's too much to worry about."

James suffered the injury when he hit his hand on the rim while going for a block:

James noted after the game that he sat out the second half as a precaution:

James had 13 points in 14 minutes of action prior to exiting. Team Giannis went on to pull out a 184-175 victory over Team LeBron.

After breaking the all-time NBA record for most points in a career, the 38-year-old was forced to miss the next three games because of an ankle injury.

James scored 38 points in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 7, upping his career total to 38,390 points to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record.

In his 20th season, he is as dominant as ever with averages of 30.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. He's shooting 50.8 percent from the field, but his 31.0 three-point percentage is one of the lowest marks of his legendary career.

Still, James is the engine that has powered the Lakers during a tough season. Los Angeles currently ranks 13th in the Western Conference at 27-32 and has a record of 5-9 when James is out of the lineup, per StatMuse.

The Lakers made multiple moves at this season's trade deadline to add to their depth, which should help mitigate any potential absence of the four-time NBA champion.

Point guard D'Angelo Russell, who was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a three-team deal that sent Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz, is likely to shoulder more of a load on offense along with star big man Anthony Davis if James misses any time.