Lebron James injury update: Lakers star's return timeline set; next steps revealed

Lakers’ veteran star cleared for contact drills as mid-November target looms

Published on: Nov 7, 2025, 08:18:02 IST

By Shirin Gupta

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Los Angeles Lakers veteran LeBron James, 40, has been cleared to resume contact basketball activities as he works his way back from a sciatica diagnosis that sidelined him at the start of his record 23rd NBA season.

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the third quarter of the game against the Golden State Warriors (Getty Images via AFP)

According to reports, James will be re-evaluated in “approximately 1-2 weeks,” marking the next major step in his rehabilitation process.

Sports Illustrated reported that his first live 5-on-5 scrimmage is expected to happen either in practice with the team’s G League affiliate or once the Lakers return from their road trip.

Coach JJ Redick emphasised that while there is no fixed return date, the organisation is hopeful James can suit up around mid-November.

However, the Lakers are faring well even with James on the sidelines. The Lakers opened their campaign at 7-2. The team has leaned heavily on stars like Luka Dončić (40.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game) and Austin Reaves (31.1 points and 9.3 assists per game) this season, when the two were not injured.

Beyond Dončić and Reaves, Rui Hachimura, DeAndre Ayton and Mracus Smart have given the Lakers a defensive edge.

The team has seen multiple line-up instabilities throughout the season. However, the Lakers are still thriving with the sixth-best offensive rating in the league.

With James's return scheduled, it will be a task for Redick to figure out the adjustments between his current star players, Dončić and Reaves, and James's preferred style of play. CBS Sports writes, "All three of James, Dončić and Reaves will have to give a bit to make it all work, with Reaves likely the one to cede the most responsibility to the other two.

King James's return to the floor is highly anticipated among fans and rivals alike as the season comes to full swing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shirin Gupta
Shirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues. Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats. Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments. She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More

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