The Los Angeles Lakers suffered an unexpected 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs despite having home-court advantage. The new-look Lakers were overwhelmed on both ends of the floor throughout the series, raising questions about the viability of this team going forward and their looming offseason decisions.
These decisions were further complicated once it was revealed after the series that LeBron James suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in Game 5. In a collision with the Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, James reportedly suffered an injury to his left knee that would have sidelined him for multiple weeks.
In the latest episode of his podcast, Mind the Game with Steve Nash, the 40-year-old superstar discussed details of his injury.
"In my 22-year career, this is my first knee injury [...] as soon as the impact happened... my knee locked up, and I stayed on the ground for quite a minute to see if the knee would release a little bit. But I knew right then and there it was a pain that I hadn't felt before."LeBron James
The revelation that this was James' first knee injury of his 22-year career is certainly shocking and is a testament to his unprecedented durability.
At the same time, it is concerning that James is dealing with a knee injury for the first time ever as a 40-year-old. The most common injury concerns among aging athletes tend to be related to the knees. James has been remarkably healthy throughout his career, but his recovery from this knee injury will be a new challenge for him.
At this stage of his career, James is obviously at a higher risk of injury than he ever was. He has dealt with knocks and minor injuries in recent postseason runs. It is not realistic to expect LeBron James to get through an 82-game regular season plus the playoffs carrying the burden he does while playing over 35 minutes per game. That is why it's more important than ever that the Lakers reduce LeBron's workload going forward and surround him with the best roster possible in 2025-26 and beyond.