Los Angeles Lakers elder statesman LeBron James was already planning on playing it safe as he prepares for an unprecedented and NBA-record 23rd season. He’s perhaps the most unique athlete the world has ever seen but he’s still turning 41 years old in three months. Indeed, every season that passes it becomes even more clear that his storied career has to end one day.
LeBron James Held Out Of Lakers First Day Practice Due To Injury
Though James has looked increasingly mortal over the years, it’s still kind of shocking to hear that he was held out of the Lakers first day of practice with an injury. It’s a minor one — “nerve irritation in the glutes” — but enough to keep him on the sidelines. “I think it’s probably a little bit longer of a ramp-up leading into opening night. For him, in Year 23, uncharted territory here… He probably did too much last year in camp,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick tells reporters on Tuesday.
JJ Redick says LeBron James is dealing with nerve irritation in his glute and was held out of practice Tuesday. Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart and Adou Thiero were also out with injuries. pic.twitter.com/yNluN0ow3S
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 30, 2025
“We’re playing the long game with LeBron.”
MVP?
James isn’t L.A.’s only player who was a no-show non-participant on Day 1. Fellow veterans Gabe Vincent and Marcus Smart were out with knee management and Achilles tendinopathy, respectively. Rookie Adou Thiero, the 36th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, remains out as he deals with soreness from a pre-draft knee injury.
Respectfully, while they all matter in their own way, their maladies aren’t worth monitoring like James’s. This isn’t due to his superstar status or because he’s a magnet for media coverage. The fact of the matter is that even at an advanced age, he’s still arguably the most valuable player on the team.
That may be hard to believe now that Luka Doncic is in Purple & Gold. Yet, James has four more championship rings, four more NBA MVP awards, and more than four times as many All-Star selections to prove it. So long as he’s still performing like a top-20 player in the NBA, his combination of ability, experience, accomplishment and leadership will be the Lakers’ lighthouse.
Who knows, if he plays well enough and the Lakers are in a good enough position in the Western Conference standings, maybe he could be more than just the team’s MVP.
© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
