LeBron James Talks Recovery Process, Gameday Routine in Video After 1st Lakers Back-to-Back

Suiting up for the second game in as many nights was a daylong ordeal for Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

Following a 141-116 win over the Atlanta Hawks, James outlined all of the steps he took in order to be physically ready to play a back-to-back:

Before the season tipped off, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported representatives for the 21-time All-Star "met with the Lakers' brass leading up to training camp with a directive for the team to be 'overly cautious' with the four-time champion in the early going to preserve him for a hopefully long playoff run."

Thanks to a number of minor injuries, James has missed 17 of the Lakers' 38 games. Back trouble delayed his season debut until mid-November.

Even when he's healthy, the 41-year-old is taking a proactive approach that leaves his availability from game to game up in the air. He told reporters earlier this month that "every back-to-back for the rest of the season is TBD."

This is a bargain the Lakers know they have to accept. Nobody expects James to maintain the same workload he did in his 20s and 30s, and the trade-off is worth it if he's playing at a high level when the postseason arrives.

That's not to say there isn't a cost to LeBron missing games. Los Angeles is fifth in the Western Conference and only has a one-game buffer on the Phoenix Suns, who occupy the first play-in tournament position.

Any occasion James is out of the lineup, the Lakers risk losing ground in the playoff race.