Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will miss start of NBA season

The Los Angeles Lakers announced on Thursday that star player LeBron James will miss the start of the regular season due to sciatica on his right side. The team's first game is scheduled for October 21 against the Golden State Warriors on NBC and Peacock.

James is set to be evaluated for a return in three to four weeks, with potential appearances as early as October 29 against the Minnesota Timberwolves or October 31 against the Memphis Grizzlies. He has not participated in full practices or preseason games, despite the preseason beginning on October 3.

Lakers head coach J.J. Redick commented that James is on his own timeline for recovery. James, who will turn 41 in December, is entering his 23rd NBA season; after missing over 20 games in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, he played at least 70 games in each of the last two years.

In the 2024-25 regular season, James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game. The Lakers made a surprising trade in February, acquiring Luka Doncic in exchange for Anthony Davis.

During the playoffs, the Lakers, featuring James and Doncic, lost to the Timberwolves in five games, and it was reported that James sprained his MCL in his left knee during Game 5. This report was provided by Rohan Nadkarni of NBC News.