Lakers Provide Concerning LeBron James Update After Mysterious Absence

The Los Angeles Lakers are 13-11 for the season as they continue their up-and-down campaign. The defense has taken a significant step back and the offense doesn't look much different than it did under Darvin Ham.

Perhaps the most concerning part of the Lakers season, however, has been LeBron James' performance. King has finally started showing signs of decline in his age 40 season. Because of the faulty roster construction and the disappointing job the front office has done surrounding him with talent, LeBron has to do way too much on the court. He is playing 35 minutes per game and has to be the main perimeter creator.

At this stage of his career, that is proving to be too much, as he is averaging the fewest points of his career since his rookie season with one of his least efficient seasons.

To make matters worse, the load he has been carrying may have finally taken a toll on him. Per Shams Charania of ESPN, LeBron is unlikely to play on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He already missed his first game of the season on Sunday when he was unavailable against Portland due to foot soreness.

Lakers News: LeBron James Likely Missing Second Consecutive Game

The fact that James is still not ready to play after resting since the Dec. 6 matchup against the Hawks is certainly worrisome. What is fascinating about this absence is the fact that LeBron also missed Wednesday's practice due to "personal reasons".

Head coach JJ Redick said earlier in the week that LeBron wasn't with the team and had an "excused absence".

Missing practice for personal reasons and missing a whole week of action with foot soreness are not good signs. It may be pointing to a deeper, more serious issue with LeBron physically or his relationship with the organization. Whichever it is, Lakers fans are worried about the immediate future of the franchise.

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