Lakers coach JJ Redick addresses LeBron James’ ‘tricky’ injury

Joe Mayo

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Lakers coach JJ Redick addresses LeBron James’ ‘tricky’ injury image

The Los Angeles Lakers have two more preseason games ahead of their regular-season opener against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, Oct. 21, though they'll be without one of their superstars. 

Entering his 23rd season in the league, LeBron James will miss opening night for the first time in his Hall of Fame career. James is dealing with sciatica on his right side and has apparently been dealing with the nerve issue since late July or early August, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. 

The four-time MVP has long defied Father Time and has remained extremely productive during the latter stages of his career. However, he may be entering the final season of his career and certainly won't be rushed back to the court. 

MORE: LeBron James' injury only proves the Lakers are Luka Doncic's team

JJ Redick hopeful LeBron James will return soon 

According to Jovan Buha of the Buha's Block podcast, Lakers head coach JJ Redick is hopeful James will return to the court soon, though he was hesitant to make any guarantees. 

“You hope he can be back soon,” Reddick said. “Those things can be tricky.” 

For now, Luka Doncic will lead the Lakers alongside Austin Reaves. With James sidelined, the Lakers will likely turn to offseason signee Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt to pick up the slack in the frontcourt.

It wouldn't be surprising to see the Lakers monitor James’ playing time throughout the 2025-26 season, as they will want him to be fresh for a playoff push. The four-time champion will likely need time to ramp-up in practice after his nerve injury, and he's expected to be reevaluated in approximately 2-3 weeks from Wednesday.

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Joe Mayo

Joe Mayo is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. Born and raised in Wisconsin, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2024. He’s also a contributor at RotoWire. While Joe primarily writes about the NBA, he also covers the WNBA and MLB.