LeBron James has played four straight games for the Los Angeles Lakers after missing the first 14 games of the season due to sciatica.
The Lakers have won all four that James has played in, which probably isn’t a coincidence. However, they’ll have to look to secure a win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night without James’ services.
LeBron James won't play vs. Pelicans due to injury management
James has officially been ruled out of the game against the Pelicans due to left foot injury management. The game against New Orleans is the first of a back-to-back, as the Lakers will host the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. James should be good to go against Phoenix.
There has been some conversation about if James, in his 23rd season in the NBA, would play on both legs of back-to-backs this season. James’ agent, Rich Paul, has already expressed a desire for James not to play in back-to-backs.
“Look, at 41 years of age, I hope he is not playing back-to-backs,” Paul said recently.
The Lakers have gotten off to a great start in the 2025-26 season, despite the fact that James has been limited to just four games so far. L.A. Currently sits second in the Western Conference standings with a record of 14-4, and they’ve won six straight games. They’ll look to push that number to seven against the Pelicans.
While the Lakers are in the midst of a winning streak, New Orleans is the opposite. The Pelicans have lost two straight games and nine of their last 10. They’ve won just three out of 20 games on the season so far and sit dead last in the West.
The matchup on Sunday night will be the second of the season between L.A. And New Orleans. The Lakers bested the Pelicans 118-114 in an NBA Cup game earlier this month.