Lakers' LeBron James Returns from Foot Injury vs. Bulls; 1st Game Since Feb. 26

LeBron James will return to the floor Sunday.

The Los Angeles Lakers star has been upgraded to available and will come off the bench against the Chicago Bulls after testing his injured foot in pregame warm-ups.

James, 38, last played on Feb. 26 as he recovered from a tendon injury in his right foot. The Lakers have gone 8-5 in his stead, keeping the ship afloat during a crucial period as the team looks to secure a playoff berth or a spot in the play-in tournament.

Currently the team is 37-37 and in eighth place in the Western Conference, just 1.5 games behind the Golden State Warriors in the No. 6 seed, the last guaranteed playoff berth. The Lakers are also just one game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks and two games ahead of the Utah Jazz, with both teams currently out of the play-in tournament.

Suffice it to say, the bottom of the standings in the West is extremely tight, and every remaining game matters immensely for the Lakers. In other words, having James available for Sunday against a Bulls team looking to secure its own place in the play-in tournament will be huge.

James is having another vintage season, averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game while shooting 50.1 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from three.

Age is catching up to James, however, as he's now missed 27 games this season because of various injuries. When healthy, he's one of the NBA's best players still, but not even the seemingly ageless James can hold off the realities of nearing his 40s.

"Progressing as normal," Lakers coach Darvin Ham told reporters on Friday when asked about James' rehab from his injury. "Just doing the work that needs to be done for him to get his foot all the way together."

With James back, the Lakers will now rev up their push for a playoff spot in earnest.