The Los Angeles Lakers are one of four teams celebrating the start of the 2025-2026 NBA regular season with a Tip-Off Double Header on NBC and Peacock October 21. It’s a chance to start the season in primetime amid the much-hyped return of the NBA on NBC, but the Lakers will be doing it without their most visible superstar. 

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Watch NBA on NBC on NBC and streaming on Peacock. 

LeBron James, the NBA legend who’s called the Lakers home since 2018 and has been in the league since 2003, will have to miss at least the first several games of the season due to an injury issue, marking the first time in his entire NBA career that he’ll miss an opening night game. So, what’s going on with LeBron, and how serious is it? Let’s take a closer look. 

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Why is LeBron James missing the Lakers’ season opener?

The Lakers announced earlier in October that James, who’s been the on-court leader of the Lakers since joining the team and led them to a championship in 2020, will miss the season opener, and the first three to four weeks of the season, due to sciatica on his right side. There is no clear timeline yet for James’ return, but the Lakers also noted he will be evaluated again after a few weeks, which means the earliest fans are likely to see him on the court is November. 

What is sciatica? Injury explained

Sciatica is a chronic pain condition caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down through the legs. It causes shooting, often intense pain that can be exacerbated by movement and certain body positions, and is usually treated through things like regular stretching and rest rather than any kind of medical procedure. Sciatica is often an indicator of something more serious in the spine area, like a bulging disc. The Lakers have not revealed additional details of James’ condition, so we have no idea if the sciatica is linked to other chronic issues, or just something that will ease with time. 

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Whatever happens next with James, this puts even more pressure on the Lakers’ new star, Luka Dončić, to show up and make plays for the team. Dončić joined Los Angeles last season after a blockbuster trade that saw him leave the Dallas Mavericks, and now he’s got the chance to set the tone for the Lakers’ 2025-2026 campaign. You can bet that even if James can’t be on the court, he’ll be there on the bench, making sure his team is focused and ready, and Dončić will need to be a big part of that.

How to watch the NBA on NBC Tip-Off Double Header

The 2025-2026 NBA regular season kicks off October 21, when the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder host the Houston Rockets for the first of two games in NBC’s Tip-Off Double Header. That game will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET live on NBC, and will be simultaneously streamed live on Peacock. Immediately following Thunder/Rockets, the Lakers will host the Golden State Warriors with a scheduled start time of 10:00 p.m. ET. 

The NBA on NBC returns October 21 and continues Monday and Tuesdays all season long on NBC and Peacock.