LOS ANGELES — Arguably the best player in NBA history will not suit up against the Warriors on Tuesday evening.
LeBron James has been ruled out of the Warriors-Lakers season-opener in Los Angeles as he continues to deal with sciatica, which causes nerve pain in the lower back and upper legs.
The superstar will be re-evaluated in early November, which means the league’s all-time leading scorer (42,184 points) is guaranteed to miss anywhere from the first five to nine games of the Lakers’ regular season.
“We knew that he was dealing with the nerve irritation,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said during the preseason. “You hope that he’s back soon. Those things can be tricky. We knew this going into camp, so it wasn’t like it’s changed anything for how we want to practice or what our philosophies are with the preseason games.”
As a member of the Cavaliers, James faced Steph Curry’s Warriors in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2019, with 2016 being James’ only victory. As a member of the Lakers, James helped Los Angeles eliminate the Warriors in the second round of the 2023 playoffs.
Despite approaching his 41st birthday, James remains one of the game’s top players. He was named to the 2024-25 All-NBA second team, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game while making 70 starts.
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The cupboard is not bare for the Lakers, though. Superstar Luka Doncic will lead the offense, and Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura should give Warriors coach Steve Kerr and the defense fits.
“He looks like he’s in good shape, but he’s still the same player he’s been since the moment he stepped on the court years ago,” Kerr said about Doncic on Monday. “Unstoppable force with his pace and strength, the way he shoots the ball behind his head with the step-backs, you can’t get there to challenge the shot.”
