Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is in uncharted territory as the first player in NBA history to play 23 seasons. As a result, the Lakers were trying to find ways to limit the wear on his body prior to the 2025-26 season opener. Ironically, he had already missed the first day of training camp with nerve irritation in his glutes. However, it isn’t just preseason that James is in danger of missing now.
LeBron James Enters Historic 23rd Season With Career First
After being diagnosed with sciatica on his right side, James will be out for at least 3-4 weeks, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. That timeline will lead to James being sidelined for a regular season opener for the first time in his career. Suffice it to say, the king’s historic campaign has not gotten off to a roaring start.
Breaking: Lakers star LeBron James will be sidelined for at least 3 to 4 weeks due to sciatica on his right side. He is out for the start of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Get breaking news alerts from Shams Charania through the ESPN app: https://t.co/QEjDpr2WVy pic.twitter.com/l6CVkP0tBZ
— ESPN (@espn) October 9, 2025
If he heals quickly, he could theoretically be back in action before the end of the month. However, as he ages, it seems to take him longer to heal from injuries. In fact, he’s played fewer than 60 games in four of the last seven seasons. Therefore, it may be more reasonable to expect a November return for James.
Winning Without LeBron James
Keeping that in perspective, the Lakers will play six games in October. After facing the Golden State Warriors in the season opener on Oct. 21, they go on to face the Minnesota Timberwolves (twice), Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, and Memphis Grizzlies. With Luka Doncic in tow, L.A. will be given a fighter’s chance when they face contenders like the Timberwolves, Kings and Grizzlies. Even without Doncic, they may be able to take down the hungry but often hapless Blazers.
So far as November is concerned, the Lakers have three opponents the first week of the month: the Blazers, Miami Heat, and San Antonio Spurs. They have four opponents the second week: the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and New Orleans Pelicans. On the surface, this would seem to be a less foreboding gauntlet than what they find in their October slate. To that point, only the Thunder and the Heat are universally respected as contending teams. However, their other opponents aren’t just going to lay down after completing major offseason trades to improve.
In sum, the Lakers could get off to a decent start in 2025-26. Nonetheless, it won’t be a cake walk. In fact, it’ll be a tremendous opportunity for Doncic to prove that the franchise is in good hands without James.
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