LeBron James Jokes About Foot Injury, 'It's Called Old... You Just Wake Up With S--t'

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James joked abut the recent foot injury that sidelined him for a game.

"It's called old," James said following Monday's 125-108 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

He added that "you just wake up with s--t that you didn't have the night before."

James missed Los Angeles' 133-121 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans last Sunday. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves combined for 67 points in the contest to earn a seventh win in a row.

Pelicans-Lakers Full Highlights

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That result was the Lakers' season in a nutshell to some extent.

James missed L.A.'s first 14 games because of sciatica. Rather than spell doom, his absence allowed Dončić and particularly Reaves to shine as the Lakers were a solid 10-4 before the 21-time All-Star made his season debut.

Dončić is averaging 35.3 points on 47.8 percent shooting along with 8.9 rebounds and 8.9 assists. He's benefiting from having had a full offseason to acclimate to Southern California and train with his teammates.

Reaves, who's eligible for free agency after this year, is playing his way into a massive contract. He's scoring 28.1 points per contest and dropped 51 in an October win over the Sacramento Kings.

AUSTIN REAVES DOMINATES

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It largely goes without saying James is instrumental to the Lakers' championship ambitions. Managing his workload will go a long way toward ensuring he's at his best when the postseason rolls around.

A serious injury to James would be a major problem. Based on how Los Angeles has started the campaign, missing him for a game or two shouldn't impact the team as much as it would've in a past season.