LeBron Said 'Holy S--t' After 1st-Ever Knee Injury, 'A Pain I Hadn't Felt Before'

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James provided an update Thursday on the knee injury he suffered during last week's Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, which knocked L.A. out of the first round of the playoffs.

Speaking on his Mind the Game podcast with former NBA guard Steve Nash (beginning at the 11:35 mark), James discussed how the injury happened, how he felt afterward and how he has progressed since then:

With 8:39 remaining in what was ultimately a season-ending 103-96 loss to the T-Wolves, James' knee collided with Donte DiVincenzo. LeBron went down to the court in pain and had to be removed from the game.

James told Nash that while he has dealt with knee ailments such as tendonitis in the past, this is the "first time I've ever had a sustained knee injury where you've gotta get off your feet, you've kinda gotta be shelved for a minute."

ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported after the injury occurred that LeBron suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee, and James confirmed it was his MCL, noting that doctors told him he needs four-to-six weeks of recovery.

The 40-year-old veteran said his knee locked up when he made contact with DiVincenzo, calling it "a pain that I hadn't felt before."

James suffered the injury last Wednesday, and he told Nash that he planned to get an MRI two days later if he didn't feel better upon waking up last Thursday morning.

However, the pain was so intense that LeBron had to get his knee checked out the day after the injury occurred.

"When I woke up Thursday morning and tried to get out of bed, I was like, 'Holy s--t,' and I called doc right away," he told Nash. "I said, 'I can't wait till Friday. I need to go today.'"

Because of the timing of the injury and when the Lakers were eliminated, James didn't end up missing any games, but he divulged that he wouldn't have been able to play in a Game 6 or Game 7 against Minnesota had the series gotten to that point.

LeBron likely would have missed time in the second round of the playoffs as well, so the Lakers would have been in a tough spot even if they had advanced.

As James continues to recover, the question remains whether he intends to return for a 23rd NBA season in 2025-26. LeBron has not made a public declaration one way or the other, but ESPN's Shams Charania said last week on The Pat McAfee Show that "there's no expectation" James will retire this offseason.

Assuming James does return to play for the Lakers next season alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, general manager Rob Pelinka figures to make it a top priority to add quality bigs to the roster this offseason after Minnesota overwhelmed L.A. with size during the playoffs.