The complete LeBron James injury history: How Father Time is finally catching Lakers' superstar

It's often said that availability is the best ability, which is why LeBron James is considered among the best ever.

Over the course of his 19-year NBA career, the Lakers' All-Star forward has long been a model of health as one of the most durable players ever. The numbers are truly staggering:

• James has logged over 62,000 minutes of playing time (regular season and playoffs) since entering the league in 2003
• James-led teams have advanced to the NBA Playoffs 16 times and advanced to the NBA Finals 10 times — he's never missed a playoff game
• In the 2017-18 season, his 15th in the league, James appeared in all 82 games
• James' first extended absence of greater than 10 games came in 2018-19, his 16th season in the NBA

Despite a heavy workload in his 19th season, James is playing at an All-NBA level with averages of 29.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists, all while playing in 36.6 minutes per game — his most since the aforementioned 2017-18 campaign, in which he failed to miss a game.

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Durable as James is, that extended absence in the 2018-19 season proved to be a harbinger of sorts with the last four seasons revealing a shift towards basketball mortality:

• First 15 seasons (2003-2018): 71 games missed due to injury/rest
• Last four seasons (2018-Present): 71 games missed due to injury/rest

MEDICAL ANALYSIS: How serious is James' knee injury?

Since the 2018-19 season, James has dealt with ailments ranging from a strained left groin to an abdominal strain, with "general swelling" in James' left knee coming as the latest setback to hold the four-time MVP out of action.

James' only other setback in this time wasn't quite like the others, as a high ankle sprain in March 2021 held him out of 26 games, derailing the season for him and the Lakers. Unlike a strained groin or abdomen, James' ankle injury was a product of an errant hustle play made by an opponent, something James himself acknowledged.

"I was playing some of the best basketball in my career before the injury and it wasn't like a self-inflicted wound — it wasn't something that I could control," James said in 2021. "It wasn't like I wasn't putting in the work and then my body failed me. I literally had a grown man diving at my leg for a loose ball and here's the injury."

Is James’ body failing him now? It’s no secret that he takes care of his body as well as any other professional athlete but his recent rash of injuries do warrant some concern.

Perhaps it’s just bad luck or a product of two consecutive short offseasons or it could be Father Time’s attempt to improve upon an undefeated record. 

Regardless of what it could be, we know by now that James should never be written off, as he seemingly always bounces back better than before, it was true after he first was sidelined with an ankle injury as a rookie and, based on his play in Year 19, still holds true to this day.

At this pivotal juncture of the season for LeBron and the Lakers, I took a look back at the complete history of James missing time due to injury, rest and recovery to further illustrate his durability and gauge just how troubling this recent trend is.

LeBron James' career injury history

First stint with Cavaliers (2003-10)

During James' first stint with the Cavs, he missed 26 of a possible 574 games, his longest absence coming during the 2007-08 season due to a sprained left index finger.

James' most prevalent injury was a sprained ankle, which, ironically, was the first injury that caused him to miss time. LeBron first missed time to rest during his fourth NBA season and would miss a total of six games for rest purposes.

Cleveland's 10-16 record in James' absence should be taken with a grain of salt as many late-season absences came in inconsequential games.

Heat (2010-14)

In Miami, James appeared in 294 of a possible 312 games over four seasons (lockout-shortened 2011-12 season consisted of 66 games.)

James was most impacted by a strained right hamstring during the stretch run of the 2012-13 season, which held him out of four games.

In James' 18 absences, the Heat posted a formidable 8-10 record, which is partly due to stars like Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade stepping up, that is, when the trio wasn't all sidelined for rest purposes.

Second stint with Cavaliers (2014-18)

During his second stint with the Cavaliers, James missed 27 out of 328 regular season games. 

It's worth noting that 15 of James' 27 absences were scheduled nights of rest, all of which came after his 30th birthday. 11 of James' scheduled rest nights came after Tyronn Lue took over as head coach.

Thanks in large part to a 1-7 stretch without James in the 2014-15 season, the Cavs were 4-23 in his absence from 2014-18.

He missed no games during the 2017-18 season.

Lakers (2018-Present)

James' first season in Los Angeles was derailed by a groin injury sustained on Christmas Day. After initially missing 17 games due to the injury, James missed a total of 27 games in the season, with the Lakers shutting him down for the season in late March.

In his second season, James was largely healthy but it's worth noting that there were no NBA games played from mid-March until late July due to the NBA season shut down. 

Including the most recent games James has missed due to knee swelling, the Lakers have posted a 27-44 record without James.

LA's troubling trend without James illustrates a need for his return now more than ever.

If history is any indicator, however, he will return from injury ready to help the team make a push through the Play-In Tournament, if nothing else.

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