LeBron James didn’t play in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ first two preseason games over the weekend. He has been ramping things up slowly, and coach JJ Redick said a few days ago that he’s dealing with nerve irritation in his glute.
The team’s next preseason game won’t be until this Sunday against the Golden State Warriors, and their regular-season debut is exactly two weeks from now on Oct. 21 against those same Warriors. Lakers fans hoping to see James in at least one or two exhibition contests will likely be disappointed by what ESPN’s Shams Charania said about the superstar’s status.
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Charania reported that the 40-year-old is likely not to play at all in the preseason in order to get ready for L.A.’s regular-season opener.
If James is able to play in one or two preseason games without risking further injury, it would be very helpful for the team, as it has three new key members in Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia who need to build chemistry with him. In addition, Luka Doncic is still relatively new to the Purple and Gold, and he needs to get used to playing with James, especially since James will play a lot off the ball next to Doncic.
But of course, health takes precedence over everything else, and if James’ nerve irritation is that concerning, he likely shouldn’t risk playing for the time being.
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This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Insider on whether LeBron James will play for Lakers in preseason