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LeBron James will miss opening night of his record 23rd NBA season due to sciatica
LeBron James will miss at least the first five games due to right-side sciatica and be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks, marking his first season opener absence in 23 years.
- Published Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, LeBron James will miss Opening Night at Crypto.com Arena of his record 23rd NBA season, starting the year sidelined for the first time.
- Team doctors diagnosed sciatica and glute nerve irritation on LeBron James’s right side, and the Lakers said he will be reevaluated in about three to four weeks after missing preseason games.
- As context, LeBron James is the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 42,184 points, has opted into a $52.6 million player option, and holds records for 1,854 combined games and 71,103 minutes.
- Short term, the Lakers will rely on Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura to carry the offense while Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart face added pressure during James's absence for five to six games.
- Looking ahead, durability questions center on LeBron James at age 40 entering his 23rd season, with a multi-week absence threatening the 65-game All-NBA eligibility and fueling retirement speculation following his 'Second Decision' post.
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149 Articles
149 Articles
The 40-year-old superstar will miss the NBA season opener - His injury will be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks
The Los Angeles Lakers will likely be without LeBron James at the start of the new NBA season in late October. The 40-year-old superstar will miss the start of his 23rd NBA season due to sciatica, a nerve pain in the lower back.
·Amsterdam, Netherlands
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So far, LeBron James has not been able to complete a training session with his teammates of the LA Lakers, and it will stay that way at first. Because the four-time NBA champion fails at the start of the season with back problems.
·Germany
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources149
Leaning Left21Leaning Right14Center61Last UpdatedBias Distribution63% Center
Bias Distribution
- 63% of the sources are Center
63% Center
L 22%
C 63%
15%
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