Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is playing on a torn tendon in his right foot that will require surgery in the offseason. according to Shams of Charania. James will have his foot reassessed in the near future, and if a surgical procedure is required, it could sideline him for two months.
James first injured his foot on February 26 in a regular season game against the Dallas Mavericks. Courtroom cameras caught him saying “I heard him leave” when he was on the court, and when he played the rest of that game, he missed the next 13 Lakers games.
On his return on March 26, James suggested several doctors needed time for surgery, but he found “LeBron James off his feet” who helped him get back on the court. He played in every game the rest of the way for the Tigers, helping them enter the tournament as the No. 7 seed. and eventually played all the way to the Western Conference finals.
There, despite James contributing 27.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 10 assists per game, the Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets. After Game 4, he admitted he wasn’t feeling very well because of the injury and said he was scheduled to have an MRI on his foot.
“I knew I could be there,” James said in an interview with ESPN. “Of course I knew that I had to act and act with pain or that I couldn’t act before the injury, but there was nothing that made me feel like I couldn’t finish.”
I’m going to have an MRI and see if the tendon is healed or not and I’ll go from there. We’ll see what happens.”
Whether James needs a hand or not, he’ll be ready for the start of next season, that is, if he doesn’t give up. During the Game 4 press conference, he mentioned the possibility, although he is expected to continue playing. Charania added Thursday that he doesn’t expect James to return, based on what he’s heard.
