Heat vs. Lakers: LeBron James' Status Uncertain with Illness

The winter is starting to take it's toll on a number of people, and LeBron James is the most recent victim to suffer an illness, which could cause him to miss Thursday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports via Twitter that LeBron missed the shootaround because of an illness. 

With Dwyane Wade already out with an ankle injury, the Heat would be in major trouble if LeBron was unable to play. Of course, his health is their No. 1 concern, and since it's early in the season, it's not a huge blow. 

However, it would have been great to see how these two teams stacked up against one another. A Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James battle is rarely disappointing, but we might have to wait until March to see it happen.

The Heat will travel to the Lakers on March 4, and the hope is that everyone will be healthy then. The NBA is so much more fun to watch when all the stars are playing. 

Plus, it allows the teams to see where they truly stand in the league. If the Lakers battle the Heat tonight and LeBron and Wade aren't on the court, it's essentially a throw away game for Los Angeles. 

Miami is regarded as one of the best teams in the NBA, which is why the matchup against the Lakers was highly anticipated. With Wade and LeBron out, the Lakers don't get a true test, which is something the really need. 

The Lakers have had a few days of rest since beating the Dallas Mavericks in a close one, and now they hit the road hoping to start another win streak. 

If Wade and LeBron are out, it shouldn't be much of a struggle for Kobe and company to get a victory. Then again, the Heat have stepped up with their star players out before, so there's a chance they give Los Angeles a good fight. 

It should be a packed crowd with Kobe coming into town, but they will all be let down if the Heat's big stars aren't on the court. 

People are always getting sick this time of year, and while the Heat would love to have LeBron playing tonight, there's no need for him to play if he's not at full strength. 

The last thing Miami needs is for LeBron to get even worse and be forced to miss more games. 

Stay tuned with Bleacher Report throughout the day and we'll update you on LeBron's status.