LeBron James Injury: Updates on Cavaliers Star's Wrist and Return
The reunion between LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers hasn't gone as smoothly as initially anticipated. The superstar missed the Wednesday, Jan. 28, game against the Trail Blazers but would return Friday, Jan. 30, against the Kings.
Continue for updates.
James Will Play vs. Kings
Friday, Jan. 30
ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported James will play Friday night, despite earlier inklings that he wouldn't be able to take the floor.
James Dealing With Sore Wrists
Wednesday, Jan. 28
The Cavaliers confirmed James will miss Wednesday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers:
Joe Freeman of The Oregonian initially reported the news.
The injury stems from a nasty fall James took Tuesday in the Cavs' 103-95 win over the Detroit Pistons. Head coach David Blatt revealed the possibility of James missing the contest to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
The night before, James spoke to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio about the wrist:
James has been hobbled more this season than at any point in his career. He's been one of the most used players in the NBA since his rookie year in 2003, and all those minutes seem to have caught up with him.
He's still one of the most productive players in the league, averaging over 26 points, seven assists and five rebounds per game. At the age of 30, though, time catches up to you. America's Pregame noted in January that no one in NBA history has had more minutes than James before the age of 30:
The Cavaliers and James have to be more mindful of those minutes, while balancing the need to win now. James will benefit down the line from less time played, as long as these injuries aren't long-term problems that mandate significant time off.
This transition back to Cleveland has been a process that's gone through more growing pains than anyone expected before the year. James' injury is just the latest setback for a franchise that thought it would have a smooth ride through the Eastern Conference.
