LeBron James Out for Preseason with Ankle Injury; Could Miss Opener vs. Celtics

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James' sprained ankle could keep him out of the regular-season opener on Oct. 17 against the Boston Celtics. 

Per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, James has been "effectively" shut down for the rest of the preseason after feeling soreness in his ankle Wednesday. 

"He was experiencing soreness so he won't practice tomorrow, he won't play on Friday, either," Lue said, via Vardon. "So, um, (LeBron is) pretty mad, pretty pissed off. But I mean, it is what it is."

Lue also noted James received treatment all day Wednesday, "so I'm not sure if we should be concerned (about his availability against the Celtics) or not."

James originally injured his ankle during Cleveland's practice on Sept. 27. He made his preseason debut Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls, scoring 17 points in 30 minutes. 

If James misses anything more than a game or two, it would represent a deviation from past trends. 

The four-time MVP has appeared in fewer than 70 games once (2014-15) over the course of his career—he played in 62 of 66 games during the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season—and has missed a grand total of 14 games combined over the past two campaigns largely for maintenance. 

Should James be on the shelf when the season begins, the Cavaliers have Kyle Korver and Richard Jefferson as the primary candidates to fill the void at small forward. Presumptive starting power forward Jae Crowder could also shift down a position.