James said Friday he will play in Saturday's game against Sacramento, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports. He tallied 21 points (7-13 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 5-8 FT), eight assists and four rebounds across 35 minutes of Friday's 123-116 win over Phoenix.
James missed one game in five of the Lakers' 13 back-to-back sets in 2023-24, so it wasn't a guarantee the 39-year-old would suit up Saturday. However, James confirmed Friday night that he'd play and, per Buha, James said he intends to play in all 82 regular-season games this year, barring injury. After leading the Lakers in scoring last season, James has taken a back seat to Anthony Davis early on, averaging 18.5 points on 14.5 field goal attempts compared to Davis' 35.5 points on 20.5 attempts. Still, James' all-around game makes him a valuable fantasy asset.