LeBron James is finally ready to make his season debut.
The Los Angeles Lakers star will return to the court Tuesday night for the first time when they host the Utah Jazz, according to ESPN.
James has missed 14 games after being diagnosed with sciatica in early October. Sciatica is pain that travels along the sciatic nerve in the lower back and legs, often caused by a herniated disc.
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James sustained the injury during an on-court workout in late July or early August, and the Lakers have been cautious about bringing him back. He also sat out during training camp due to glute pain.
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“I had it two years ago. If you’ve had it then you know what the hell it’s about. If you ain’t never had it, people making jokes about it, I pray you never get it,” James said of his sciatica on Monday. “It’s not fun.”
James was cleared for contact basketball activities in earlier this month, and he slowly started working his way back. He participated in his first full practice with the Lakers soon after, and he spent time practicing in 5-on-5 sessions with the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.
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He was reassigned to the Lakers from the South Bay Lakers officially on Monday and returned to practice with the Lakers with the hope to officially return on Tuesday night.
James, who turns 41 at the end of December, is still a key contributor for the Lakers. Last season, he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game while helping the team to a 50-32 record. They reached the postseason for a third straight season, but fell in the first round.
With the Lakers already having played 14 games this season, James’s streak of playing 70 or more games — which he’s done in each of the last two seasons — comes to an end. Before joining the Lakers, he had never played fewer than 62 games in a season. In his seven years with Los Angeles, he has failed to play more than 60 games in three seasons, not including the bubble season.
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No matter how many regular-season games James plays, the Lakers need him fully healthy for the playoffs. Last postseason, he played in all five games before an eventual first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. During Game 5, he suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee. The injury would have kept James out for multiple weeks if the Lakers had advanced.
In his absence, Lakers guards Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves have led the team to a 10-4 record. Dončić is averaging 34.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game. Reaves is averaging 28.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game.
