Lakers' Darvin Ham on LeBron James: 'Going to Feel his Absence, That's For Damn Sure'

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is expected to miss multiple weeks with a right foot injury, and head coach Darvin Ham knows it will be difficult for the Purple and Gold to stay afloat in his absence.

"You got arguably the best player to ever play the game, you're going to feel his absence. That's for damn sure," Ham told reporters Tuesday. "But we have capable players at all positions. It's just a matter of us slowing down … and having a rhythm to what we're doing."

The 38-year-old had already been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies, which ended as a 121-109 loss for the Lakers.

James suffered the foot injury in Sunday's 111-108 win over the Dallas Mavericks. He played through the injury during that game, finishing with 26 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes.

The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania reported Monday that James was expected to receive "multiple opinions" on his injury and that the Purple and Gold were "bracing" to be without him for several weeks.

James also shared a photo of his wrapped-up foot Monday on Instagram, expressing his displeasure with the revelation that he'd miss an extended period of time.

James' injury comes at an inopportune time for the Lakers, who are aiming to rally from 12th in the Western Conference and into playoff contention. They currently sit three games behind the sixth-place Dallas Mavericks, which own the final guaranteed playoff spot in a crowded race to the finish line.

During the All-Star break, James told reporters that the team's final stretch of 23 games would be "the most important games of my career for a regular season." Unfortunately for the Lakers, it's unclear how many of those games he'll suit up for.

When healthy, James has been the best player on the court for L.A. Through 47 games this season, he's averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists while shooting 50.1 percent from the floor and 30.8 percent from deep.

With the four-time NBA champion out of the lineup, the Lakers will hope Anthony Davis can help keep the team alive in the Western Conference playoff race.

The Lakers will be back in action against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.