According to some rumors, LeBron James may be available to play for the Los Angeles Lakers before the regular season ends this year.
On Thursday, the franchise revealed that James has begun to proceed with on-court activity and is on a “gradual basketball movement progression.” Also, the NBA on TNT’s Chris Haynes says that James is trying to make his comeback for the last four games of the 2022-2023 season.
James posted the following on his Twitter account shortly after announcing his status update was made public: “There wasn’t an assessment today, and there hasn’t been any goal date for my return.” I’m working nonstop, three times a day, seven days a week, to improve my odds of returning to my previous fitness level. Thank God for all of you who contributed. I speak for myself!”
Because of an injury to the tendon in his right foot, James has been out since the end of February, but the Lakers have managed to maintain a strong position in the race for the Play-In Tournament by posting a record of 7-6 in his absence. The Los Angeles Lakers have a history of 36-37 and are now ranked 10th in the Western Conference standings. But they are just one and a half games behind the Golden State Warriors, who are in the sixth spot.
On February 26, the Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 111-108 to complete a comeback from a 27-point deficit and win the game. LeBron James played 37 minutes in the victory. Yet, he walked out of the stadium with a rather noticeable limp.
He is the leading scorer for the Lakers, with an average of 29.5 points per game. During the All-Star break earlier this month, he stated that the team’s closing stretch of games this season would be some of the most important games he has played, mentioning that he didn’t want to miss the postseason for a second year in a row.
Anthony Davis, a power forward for the Lakers, has performed brilliantly in James’ absence, averaging 26.3 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game while playing in 10 of the Lakers’ 12 games without James.
