Is LeBron James seriously hurt after his fall against the Dallas Mavericks?
It’s been quite a year so far for the Lakers superstar, but following his recent historic achievements, it may just be that he now has an injury to contend with.
The Lakers are on high alert after Sunday night’s game in which LeBron James appears to have suffered a foot injury. Though there has been no official word as to the severity of James’ issue, this is definitely a case of fingers being crossed for the best possible outcome.
Could LeBron James be seriously injured?
If you caught the Los Angeles Lakers victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, then you will know that it was special. Indeed, the Lakers overcame a 27-point deficit to register the biggest comeback in the league this season. Yet, you probably also know that the result wasn’t the biggest talking point of the night. That honor goes to LeBron James, but unfortunately not for the reasons you would normally associate with the star. It was late in the third quarter, when James made a stereotypical drive to the hoop where he met Dwight Powell who fouled him. After falling to the ground, James immediately grabbed his foot in visible pain. A few moments later, James could be heard saying, “I heard it pop.”
What do we know about LeBron James injury?
It’s worth noting that James actually continued to play following his apparent injury. Truth be told, he was key in helping the Lakers to a third straight win, however, it was obvious that he was not himself as he had to receive treatment on the bench. In total he finished the night with 26 points, eight rebounds and three assists which for most would be an impressive night, but this is LeBron James we’re talking about. When asked postgame about how his foot was feeling, James was conservative in his answer.
“It’s been better,” James said. “That’s for sure. But I definitely wasn’t going to go to the locker room and not finish the game out tonight. Just understood the importance of the game, and then with the momentum that we had, I felt like we could still win after being down.” To be clear, James was seen limping when out of the arena post-game, however, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham was quick to dismiss any fears about a potentially long layoff. “He’s good,” Ham said. “Our medical people are looking at him now. He’ll be reevaluated again in the morning. So, once we get some type of official word tomorrow, we’ll go from there. But as of right now, he’s good.”
This season has been touch-and-go for LeBron James
Without raising the alarm, it’s got to be said that the 2022-23 campaign has not been great for James, having played just 47 games so far. Prior to the All-Star break, he was already nursing his left foot which in fact saw him sideline for three consecutive games between February 9th and 13th. While there was no significant issue, the fact that he once again seems to have an issue is not encouraging. At any rate, there’s been no indication that he will have to miss any period of time and the Lakers are now 29-32. That’s to say, that assuming James can maintain fitness, he will be critical in helping the 12th placed Lakers to take 10th spot, which would see them eligible for the play in tournament. With just one game separating them from that position and 2.5 games from sixth, it goes without saying that he will be essential to their cause as they enter the home stretch.