US EditionLeBron 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.
161 Articles
161 Articles
NBA: Sciatica sidelines Lebron James, who'll miss Lakers’ season opener
LOS ANGELES, United States — Los Angeles superstar LeBron James is set to miss the Lakers’ NBA season-opener after the team said he would be sidelined three to four weeks with sciatica, multiple US media outlets reported Thursday. The Lakers revealed the diagnosis of right-side sciatica after the team’s practice, where the 40-year-old James again […]...Keep on reading: NBA: Sciatica sidelines Lebron James, who'll miss Lakers’ season opener
LeBron Is Out For 3-4 Weeks To Begin His 23rd Season With Sciatica, Or In Other Words, Nerve Damage On His Ass
Listen, I saw this and immediately had to ask Gaz who loves to chirp to me about my King LeBron what sciatica is. He said that it's a golf injury and Hank told him that he got it, which would make sen...
The 40-year-old superstar will miss the NBA season opener - His injury will be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
