Lakers' LeBron James Will Consider Offseason Surgery on Foot Injury: 'We'll See'
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James indicated Monday night after getting swept out of the Western Conference Finals by the Denver Nuggets that he could undergo offseason surgery on a foot injury that impacted him for the final three months of the season.
According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, James said: "I'm going to get an MRI on it and see how the tendon either healed or not healed and go from there. We'll see what happens."
The 38-year-old tore a tendon in his foot in February, and while it cost him one month of action, and he admitted it impacted his play, he also said that he never considered shutting himself down.
Aside from considering surgery, James said Monday night that he would have to "think about" whether he wants to return to play next season, suggesting that retirement is on the table for him.
The 19-time All-Star was limited to 55 games during the regular season amid various ailments, but he was healthy enough to play during the stretch run and to power the Lakers through the play-in tournament and all the way to the conference finals.
During the postseason, James averaged 23.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.
When healthy, he's still at the top of his game. During the regular season, he averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists. However, this was his third consecutive season playing in less than 60 games.
James played a big role in a massive turnaround for the Lakers following the trade deadline, as did the acquisitions of D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura, plus the emergence of Austin Reaves.
Besides James and Anthony Davis, several of the Lakers' key contributors are set to be either unrestricted or restricted free agents this offseason.
That means there is some uncertainty regarding L.A.'s viability as a contender in the Western Conference, but as long as the Lakers have a healthy James and Davis, they will have a fighting chance.
