Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will be out to start the 2025-26 NBA season.
LeBron James will be sidelined for at least 3 to 4 weeks due to sciatica on his right side. James has already been ruled out for the Los Angeles Lakers season opener against the Golden State Warriors.
This is a big blow for the Los Angeles Lakers as they were hoping James would be ready for their season opener.
With James sidelined to start the new season, Luka Doncic will look to carry an even bigger load early in the schedule.
Photo by David Berding/Getty ImagesMinnesota Timberwolves play the Los Angeles Lakers twice in their first six games
With James out for at least three weeks to start the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves should be the biggest winners of his absence.
The Timberwolves play the Lakers twice in their first six games of the season. Minnesota will be in Los Angeles on October 24 and then they will host the Lakers three games later on October 29.
The Timberwolves will have a heavy advantage in both of those games with James out.
James helped lead Los Angeles to the playoffs last season, but they lost in the first round to the Timberwolves.
Injury setback is a disappointing development for LeBron James
James reportedly had a goal of playing on opening night.
He was sidelined with what the team deemed “nerve irritation in his glute” since the start of training camp.
The issue didn’t improve and got worse ahead of this announcement.
Despite his age, James has been healthy over his career. James was able to play in 141 games with the Lakers over the past two seasons.
When healthy, James is still one of the best players in the league. Last season, he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds.