After missing 13 matches due to foot injury, LeBron James is back as he led the Lakers in points in last night’s defeat vs. Chicago
King James is finally back! The basketball star returned to court after missing 13 games as he recovered faster than expected from his foot tendon injury. This Sunday night he came off the bench to help the Lakers with their final push for this season’s playoffs.
Even though he led the Los Angeles side in points, his team still lost home at the Crypto.com Arena 108-118 against the Chicago Bulls.
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After one doctor initially suggested he should go through a “season-ending surgery”, the Lakers medical staff decided to try a third option with an unnamed foot specialist who helped James be able to finish this season still playing on court.
It was revealed that his tendon injury was actually more significant than initially thought, as we had to be sidelined for over a month. The all-time NBA’s leading scorer hadn’t seen action since February 26, when he first complained of right foot soreness after Los Angeles beat the Mavericks.
Believe it or not, as LeBron came off the bench this Sunday night in California, it was only his second time he wasn’t in the starting lineup in his 20-year career as a professional basketball player. The 38-year-old was still able to drop 19 points and win 8 rebounds for his squad.
King James makes his return with only eight contest left in the Los Angeles’ regular season as they hope to avoid missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year and the third time in LeBron’s five campaigns with the Lakers.
James said his team’s latest performances inspired him to return faster and discard surgery
After the match James said that his doctors told him he was “healing faster than anybody they’ve seen before with the injury”.
The Lakers star attributed this feat to his new foot specialist. “I went to the LeBron James of feet, and he told me I should [delay possible surgery],” the player admitted, as he didn’t want to disclose the doctor’s name.
LeBron is really different 😳 pic.twitter.com/mapAAW0KE6
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 26, 2023
The veteran star confessed he did consider surgery at first after recieving a grievous diagnosis. However, he considers it was his own determination, as well as his squad’s amazing displays in recent weeks that inspired him to keep playing through the season.
“They go 8-5 and obviously had a chance to – the hell with the play-in, we actually can be a top-eight seed,” the athlete said. “It definitely changed my mindset on me coming back and trying to be a part of this.”
“Well, I don’t even want to say [it] changed my mindset. It just enhanced what I was trying to do as far as my workouts, as far as my treatment and everything”.
“They played such great basketball. I was just ecstatic, from me being in a boot to me getting out of the boot, you guys saw me on the sideline, just so happy about what the guys are doing.”
The Lakers player wasn’t clear whether he needed surgery after the campaign came to an end, as he was only able to foresee he will need to undergo another MRI exam once the summer is here. If he’d have to be operated on, LeBron would need to train hard in the fall to be at full strength at the start of the next season.
Source: Basketball Insider
