Lakers' LeBron James: Questionable against Milwaukee
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James is questionable for Thursday's game versus the Bucks due to left ankle soreness.
James continues to deal with a nagging ankle injury but has played in the Lakers' last four games. It's unclear if new additions D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt (back) and Malik Beasley will be able to receive minutes in the superstar forward's potential absence Wednesday. Regardless, James' next chance to suit up is Saturday's matchup with Golden State if he can't go against Milwaukee.
James posted 38 points (13-20 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 8-10 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in 34 minutes during Tuesday's 133-130 loss to the Thunder.
James got off to a roaring start with 20 points in the first half on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, but was even better in the third quarter. He knocked down six of eight shot attempts for another 16 points, with his final jumper with 10.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter allowing him to eclipse Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer. James added just two more points in the final quarter as the Lakers fell short to drop to 25-30. Given that he's now captured the all-time scoring record and has been bothered by a left ankle issue for much of the season, it's worth wondering if James may receive more time off down the stretch if the Lakers aren't able to stay in the mix for the Western Conference play-in tournament.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Good to go Tuesday
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James (ankle) is good to go Tuesday against the Thunder.
James will be looking to make history Tuesday night, as he enters the game just 35 points shy of the all-time scoring record. If he's unable to reach that milestone, his next chance will be Thursday against the Bucks.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Questionable Tuesday
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James is questionable for Tuesday's matchup against the Thunder due to left ankle soreness, Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register reports.
James continues to manage a sore left ankle but has appeared in three straight showings for Los Angeles. Sitting just 35 points behind the all-time scoring record, if James is ruled active, the future Hall of Famer presents a legitimate chance at surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabarr's record Tuesday. If James is ultimately ruled out, his next chance to suit up comes Thursday against the Bucks.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Puts up 27 points in loss
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James finished Saturday's 131-126 loss to the Pelicans with 27 points (10-22 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 6-9 FT), nine rebounds and six assists in 40 minutes.
James moved closer to breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record, and there's a realistic chance he can make history Tuesday when the Lakers take on the Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. The 38-year-old has scored 20-plus points in all but one game since the start of the new year and is averaging 32.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 8.0 assists and a combined 1.2 steals/blocks per game in 2023 alone. For what is worth, James is only 36 points away from passing Abdul-Jabbar, and he has scored at least 30 points in three of his last seven appearances.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Good to go Saturday
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James (ankle) has been upgraded to available for Saturday's game versus the Pelicans, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
James sported a questionable tag on the initial injury report but seemed a good bet to take the floor with a day off between games. James will resume his usual duties and aim to lead the Lakers to a third straight win Saturday. The King is averaging 33.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 8.1 assists since the calendar flipped to 2023.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Listed questionable for Saturday
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James is considered questionable for Saturday's game versus the Pelicans due to left ankle soreness, Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register reports.
James has a history of being listed as questionable and has most often played in the contest. With a day off between games, it seems likely he will be in action Saturday as well, but it will still be worth keeping tabs on the superstar's status ahead of the 6 PM ET opening tipoff.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Efficient shooting in win
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James notched 26 points (11-19 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds and seven assists over 33 minutes during Thursday's 112-111 win over the Pacers.
James shot the ball extremely well outside of the first quarter where he went 1-of-4 for just three points. From the second quarter on he shot 66.6 percent from the field to finish with 26 points on the night, adding seven rebounds and seven assists. Nine of his points came in the fourth quarter on 3-of-5 shooting as the Lakers narrowly escaped with the win over Indiana. James has now scored at least 25 points in eight of his last 10 games, shooting 51.6 percent from the field over that stretch.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Will play Thursday
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James (ankle) will take the floor Thursday versus the Pelicans, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
James sported a questionable designation leading up to the contest but seemed a strong candidate to play with the night off between games. James matched a season-high total of 11 assists en route to his first triple-double of the season Tuesday. He should have a shot at another huge effort Thursday versus a Pacers team that ranks among the league's fastest in terms of pace and the bottom 10 in defensive efficiency.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Questionable Thursday
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James (ankle) is questionable for Thursday's game against Indiana, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
James missed Monday's game against Brooklyn due to his sore left ankle, but he returned to action Tuesday against the Knicks and posted 28 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds and a steal in 43 minutes. He's still dealing with his ankle issue ahead of Thursday's matchup, but given his workload Tuesday, it seems unlikely that he'll face any limitations if he's available against the Pacers.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Triple-double in OT win
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James supplied 28 points (11-25 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 4-7 FT), 10 rebounds, 11 assists and one steal in 43 minutes during Tuesday's 129-123 overtime victory over New York.
It was another big night for the future Hall of Famer in his return from a one-game absence to nurse a lingering ankle injury. James recorded his first triple-double of the season while moving past Steve Nash into fourth place on the NBA's career assists leaderboard, and he also sits just 89 points behind all-time scoring leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a record he figures to claim before the All-Star break given his current pace. James hasn't scored below 20 points in a game since early November, and he averaged 33.0 points through 12 games in January while adding 9.3 boards, 8.4 assists and 2.6 threes.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Ready to roll Tuesday
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James (ankle) will suit up for Tuesday's game versus the Knicks, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
A report surfaced early in the day that James would play in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, but the team officially listed him as questionable, and it was suggested he would test things out in warmups. It appears all went well, and James will resume his duties in the starting five, looking to bolster a recent stretch that's seen him go for north of 40 points in two of the last three games.
James (ankle) is listed as questionable to play in Tuesday's game versus the Knicks, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports. However, an earlier report from Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com indicated he will play.
While the team is listing James as questionable, it's almost a certainty that he will be in uniform at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. James fell a board and two assists shy of a triple-double against the Celtics on Saturday and continues to handle a healthy shot volume, attempting no fewer than 20 in a game since Jan. 6.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Good to go Tuesday
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James (ankle) will suit up for Tuesday's game versus the Knicks, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
James sat out the front end of the Lakers' back-to-back set Monday in Brooklyn to rest his lingering ankle injury but will rejoin the action Tuesday. James has collected 40-plus points in two of the last three outings and should continue to be leaned on if the Lakers are going to make a push toward the playoffs.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Will sit out Monday
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James (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's matchup against the Nets.
James continues to battle left ankle soreness and will take a seat for the first half of the Lakers' upcoming back-to-back set, marking his first absence since Jan. 9. It appears like the veteran forward's absence is simply a load-management situation, so expect James to return to action Tuesday against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Anthony Davis (foot) is also out Monday, so Thomas Bryant, Wenyen Gabriel, Rui Hachimura and Juan Toscano-Anderson are all candidates for increased roles against the Nets.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Receives green light
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James (ankle) will play in Saturday's game against the Celtics, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.
James has dealt with a sore ankle lately but has managed to play through the issue with no restrictions. Saturday's contest will be more of the same after being upgraded from questionable to active. James has crossed the 30-point threshold in five of his last eight contests and is a nightly triple-double threat.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Questionable Saturday
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James (ankle) is questionable for Saturday's game against Boston, Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register reports.
James continues to manage a sore left ankle, but he's been available for the last eight matchups and has averaged 33.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.1 assists in 36.9 minutes per game over that stretch. He's posted four double-doubles across those eight appearances, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him available once again Saturday.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Leads rally to pull away late
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James supplied 20 points (8-20 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 3-4 FT), nine rebounds and 11 assists across 35 minutes during Wednesday's 113-104 victory over the Spurs.
James was connecting with Anthony Davis and new asset Rui Hachimura all evening, but the 38-year-old took matters into his own hands in the fourth quarter and almost single-handedly put the Spurs away for good. James has been on an incredible run, and the hits should keep coming now that Anthony Davis is back to pick up the slack.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Will play Wednesday
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James (ankle) is "ready to go" for Wednesday's game against the Spurs, Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register reports.
There were some concerns James would sit Wednesday considering the contest was the second half of a back-to-back set. However, James will suit up, meaning the Lakers will have their star duo of James and Anthony Davis (foot) active together for the first time since Dec. 16. Although James would usually be set for a lower usage rate with Davis active, Davis will be under a heavy minutes restriction and will come off the bench, so James should continue to be the clear No. 1 option.
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Lakers' LeBron James: Questionable Wednesday
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James (ankle) is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Spurs, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
James has played through his left ankle soreness recently and has been dominant, averaging 35.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 7.7 assists in 37.1 minutes per game over his last seven appearances. He's still dealing with the issue ahead of the second half of a back-to-back set, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him suit up again. If James plays, he'll likely receive more support than usual, as Anthony Davis (foot) appears in line to return from a 20-game absence.
