Report: Lakers' LeBron James Could Miss 'Weeks' After Groin Injury vs. Celtics

It's not clear exactly how much time Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James could miss after suffering a groin injury during Saturday's 111-101 loss to the Boston Celtics, but according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, it may be a "matter of weeks" before he returns to the court.

James exited the game in the middle of the fourth quarter and was ultimately ruled out of the remainder of the contest with a groin strain.

He had 22 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in 35 minutes prior to exiting the game.

James discussed the matter after the game:

That comes after Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters there was concern over the injury:

James, 40, has largely been injury-free during the 2024-25 season, appearing in 58 out of the Lakers' 62 games. He did take some time off in mid-February, missing the All-Star Game for the first time in his career with a foot injury, but in general, he's avoided long stints on the sideline this season.

That was the general theme of James' career, at least until his stint with the Lakers, which has seen him play fewer than 60 games four times (one of those came in the 72-game 2020-21 season). Before coming to the Lakers, James had never appeared in fewer than 62 games in a season, and had only dropped below 70 games played twice.

Granted, James joined the Lakers in his mid-30s, so it isn't a shock that injuries have become more of a storyline. When healthy, however, he's remained one of the game's elite players, averaging 25.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.5 assists this season.

Any injury to James is always a concern, then, but it's doubly difficult for the Lakers this season as they try to build chemistry between James and Luka Dončić. The Lakers are firmly in the postseason hunt, but their title chances will come down to that duo's chemistry, especially given some of their overlapping skill sets.