LeBron James Injury Rumors: Lakers Preparing for Star to Possibly Miss 3-4 Weeks

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James could reportedly miss up to a month with the high-ankle sprain he suffered in Saturday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the update Monday on Get Up:

"They're still evaluating that high-ankle sprain, but I'm told that the Lakers are preparing for the possibility they could be without LeBron James for three weeks, even a month. That's a normal time frame for recovery for that injury, but they're still firming up a timeline. James has shown in his career an incredible ability to recover quickly from injury and play through injury, but this one's not going to be so easy, and the Lakers, again, are preparing for the possibility this is going to be weeks, not days."

James recovered a loose ball and had his right ankle rolled up on by Hawks forward Solomon Hill in Saturday's game:

The 17-time All-Star attempted to keep playing but eventually exited with what the team only initially called a right ankle injury.

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Despite the absence of Anthony Davis, the Lakers have remained near the top of the Western Conference thanks in large part to the efforts of James. Through 41 games, he's averaging 25.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists while shooting 51.3 percent from the floor.

The 36-year-old might have been the front-runner for a fifth MVP prior to the injury.

With LeBron and AD sidelined (calf strain), look for Talen Horton-Tucker, Alex Caruso, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and Wesley Matthews to see more time for the 28-15, third-seeded Lakers.