LeBron James has been sidelined to begin this season with a sciatica nerve issue.
For the first time in his career, he missed opening night and has yet to suit up for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Over the past few weeks, intel around the league has been providing updates on the 40-year-old superstar, mostly coming from ESPN insider Shams Charania.
On Thursday morning, Shams provided another update on James’s recovery progress and current status.
“Lakers' LeBron James has officially been cleared for contact basketball activities and will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks. Next step, ramping up to 5-on-5 action,” Charania said Thursday.
This update followed one he had previously announced on Wednesday, that James would not be traveling with the team on their upcoming five-game road trip.
James is known to keep himself in peak physical performance, which is the main reason he can play at this level at his age.
He has never played fewer than 45 games in a season, and one of his biggest attributes is his durability.
When the injury was first announced, he was expected to be held out until mid to late November.
He seems to be right on track with his recovery, and his return to the team will provide them with a massive spark.
As he ramps up the physicality of his practice, he should be able to fully compete in 5-on-5 practice with no restrictions.
James seems to be on the right track to return to Lakers basketball by the end of this month.
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