Lakers' LeBron James Out vs. Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves with Ankle Injury
Los Angeles Lakers veteran superstar LeBron James won't play on Thursday night against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, James is listed as out with an ankle injury.
Thursday marks the second night of a back-to-back for the Lakers, who lost 124-108 to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. It's also their third game in four nights after Monday's game against the New York Knicks.
James played almost 76 minutes combined against the Knicks and Bulls. He finished one assist shy of posting back-to-back triple-doubles in those games.
Despite being in the midst of his 21st NBA season, the 38-year-old James has been as productive and dominant as ever when healthy.
In 26 games this season, LeBron is averaging 25.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per contest.
While LeBron's talent and production are undeniable, the only thing that has slowed him down in recent years is injuries, as he has missed a significant amount of time for both ailments and maintenance.
Entering the 2023-24 season, James had played in fewer than 60 games in each of the previous three campaigns, including appearing in 55 games last season.
The Lakers have taken a cautious approach with James when he is banged up since the end goal is always for him to be healthy and able to contribute at a high level come playoff time.
That paid off for L.A. last season, as James helped lead the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals and was the biggest factor in the team's postseason success.
James' big-game ability carried over to this season, as he played a crucial role in the Lakers winning the first-ever NBA in-season tournament.
LeBron is the oldest active player in the NBA, but the 19-time All-Star, four-time NBA champion, four-time NBA Finals MVP and four-time NBA MVP is still unquestionably one of the best player the league has to offer.
Because of his importance to the Lakers and their championship hopes, it won't be at all surprising if they are as careful as possible when it comes to easing him back into the lineup.
With James out of action, Anthony Davis will be the go-to guy with Austin Reaves, D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Taurean Prince and others stepping up in the pecking order as well.
