Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
LeBron James was once considered an android. It seemed like he had that Wolverine-like ability to get bludgeoned and slowly recover in real time. Since he’s chosen the Los Angeles Lakers, it’s been rough on him. Injuries have leaped out of the woodworks and taken the king out of a lot of basketball.
In year one, James dealt with a groin injury that sidelined him during the young iteration of the Lakers. The next season, he held up much better en route to a championship. In the last two years, we’ve seen him have a severely sprained ankle suffered in both years, with one being to a lesser degree. To add to this, he’s dealt with an abdomen strain and knee swelling. One would say that these are old man injuries, and it’s hard not to agree.
We’ve all been there as old men. You wake up one morning with a mysterious pain, that can’t be explained. There’s no real remedy for it, outside of the usual medicine and relaxation. It seems that LeBron shares that experience. He talked about the knee injury on Tuesday after practice to the media:
I always ask that someone release the Lakers roster voodoo dolls from their clutches. There’s never been this level of guys being in and out of a lineup during one year of basketball. The Big 3 of Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook have not had one month of basketball together. Regardless of all the noise and hearsay, that’s an underrated reason why this team is a play-in squad.
The lack of bodies have contributed to this directly — above any of the complaints that we see every day. When you don’t win, you don’t afford yourself cushion. This cushion is the ability to rest your stats and take your foot off the gas. LeBron will get this opportunity again one day. Right now, it just won’t be there. Here’s to The King managing this as best as possible.
