Lakers Superstar Already Injured to Start the Season, Bad Omen

The Los Angeles Lakers are in title contention mode. After the Luka Doncic trade, they have no other choice but to try to maximize the present. Besides the fact that Luka is smack dab in the middle of his prime, they also have an old yet still effective LeBron James on the roster. This could be LeBron’s last year in a Lakers uniform, making one last title run the obvious goal. 

Unfortunately for the Lakers, a LeBron injury update from Shams Charania means their season won’t be off to the start they were hoping for. 

“Lakers star LeBron James is 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.”

This is not good news for the Lakers. Missing LeBron, even for a little bit of time, is not ideal. The fact that LeBron had an entire offseason to rest and heal, and he is still not going to be healthy to start the season, is even worse. 

At 40 years old, this is somewhat to be expected. Still, LeBron has shown that he is superhuman, and this is the first time in his career that he won’t be starting the season healthy. Is it a sign of bad things to come?

If Father Time has caught up with LeBron and this season is going to be filled with a myriad of different ailments, the Lakers are going to have trouble competing with the best in the West. On the other hand, if LeBron is just playing it safe and saving himself for a deep playoff run, this early-season rest could be exactly what he needs.