The Los Angeles Lakers are in free-fall mode as they continue to navigate the 2024-25 NBA regular season without LeBron James. The 40-year-old superstar has been sidelined for over a week with a groin injury, and the Lakers have felt his absence as they headed into Sunday's showdown with the Phoenix Suns on a four-game losing streak.
Although the Lakers will be forced to be without James again this weekend, the latest update surrounding his injury is bound to lift the fanbase's spirits.
Lakers Injury News: LeBron James Returns to Practice, Expected to Miss Another Week
During Sunday's "NBA Countdown" pre-show on ABC, ESPN's Shams Charania shared footage of James in his first workout since suffering his injury. While that's quite a step in the positive direction, Charania added that the four-time NBA MVP will likely miss a bit more time before returning to in-game action.
"(James) is expected, though, to miss at least another week," Charania said. "His exact return will be based on how his body responds to the increased activity here over the coming days...The Lakers and James will be very cautious."
Reporting for ABC NBA Countdown: LeBron James has his first on-court workout today – with ESPN footage – plus a Lakers return timetable update: pic.twitter.com/xTeiMRblnp
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 16, 2025
Charania added that James' workload throughout the last year is likely also playing a role in the Lakers' cautious approach. Not only is he averaging just under 35 minutes per outing in Year 22, but he also had a shorter offseason due to his participation in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Nevertheless, the fact that James is back working out with his teammates is a positive step. He's closer to returning to the lineup than he was last week, and missing a few more games is negligible if it means having a fully healthy (or close to it) 'King James' for the NBA postseason.
Despite his slowing down in some areas, James continues to be one of basketball's best players this season. The future Hall of Famer is averaging 25.0 points, 8.5 assists, 8.2 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks while shooting 51.7% from the floor and 38.4% from the three-point line in his first 58 appearances.
Hopefully, James' recovery continues progressing nicely so that he can return to the floor sooner rather than later. In the meantime, the rest of the Lakers' lineup — from Luka Doncic to Austin Reaves and everyone in between — has to be better if they don't want to deal with an uphill battle once their leader returns.
Fortunately, Los Angeles' outlook is still bright despite the slump in James' absence. The Lakers currently hold the fifth-best 2024-25 NBA Finals odds (+1700) on FanDuel Sportsbook ahead of Sunday afternoon's home clash with the Suns.
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