LeBron James injury update: Lakers star could move to G League practice; return vs Utah

LeBron James injury update: King James is yet to play the first game of his record 23rd NBA season. The 40-year-old is expected to return vs Utah Jazz.

Published on: Nov 6, 2025, 11:23:01 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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LeBron James injury update: King James is yet to play the first game of his record 23rd NBA season. The 40-year-old missed the San Antonio Spurs game on Wednesday and is expected to stay out for the next few weeks. He is recovering from a nagging sciatica injury that surfaced last month.

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)

Addressing concerns around James' injury, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said: "Obviously, this thing has to continue to progress with all of his return-to-play protocols. So we don't have, like, a target date. It's just somewhere in that general timeline. We hope that he's kind of checked all the boxes and is going to be back sometime in that second or third week in November."

The Lakers will face the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans, and Milwaukee Bucks next. LeBron is expected to miss all these games. It appears like the 40-year-old could make a return against the Utah Jazz on November 18, at home. With the four-time MVP's season debut, he will become the first NBA player to complete in 23 seasons.

According to reports, LeBron has been diligent in solo workouts and is now eyeing the next phase: full-contact scrimmages. Sources close to the situation indicate James could participate in G League practices with the South Bay Lakers as early as next week, allowing him to test his conditioning in a low-stakes environment before facing NBA-level intensity. This step would accelerate his integration into team drills, with live 5-on-5 sessions on the horizon.

For the Lakers, James' absence has been a mixed bag. They've leaned on Anthony Davis' dominance (28.5 PPG, 12.0 RPG) and Austin Reaves' breakout (18.8 PPG) to climb the Western Conference standings, including a statement win over the Clippers.

Yet, Redick admits the void is palpable: "LeBron's gravity changes everything - defensively, offensively, leadership-wise."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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