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LeBron James 'Pretty Banged Up' Amid Ankle Injury, Lakers HC Frank Vogel Says
March 4, 2021
LeBron James will miss his first game of the season Wednesday when the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Sacramento Kings, and head coach Frank Vogel shed some light on his condition before the game.
According to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell, Vogel said the star "is pretty banged up right now" while dealing with a sore ankle.
ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported early Wednesday morning that James did not travel with the team to Sacramento.
James will still travel to Atlanta to play in Sunday's All-Star Game, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
The 36-year-old's absence comes after he dropped 38 points in a 114-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Leading up to that game, he was listed on the injury report with a left ankle sprain, which he will be treated for in Los Angeles, per McMenamin.
He has been regularly listed on the team's injury report this year.
James is averaged 25.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the third-seeded Lakers, who are 24-12 heading into Wednesday.
The Lakers will also play without center Marc Gasol, who is going through the league's health and safety protocols, and Anthony Davis, who is still recovering from his Achilles injury. Kyle Kuzma and Alex Caruso were questionable, while Jared Dudley and Damian Jones were probable.
