Even after the extended break last week, LeBron James was still held out of the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves because of foot soreness and personal reasons.
Fortunately for the Lakers, James didn’t miss any more time afterward as he was available for their matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. Having James back on the floor allowed head coach JJ Redick to go back to a more normal rotation and it led to Los Angeles’ best defensive performance of the 2024-25 season.
The Lakers beat the Grizzlies 116-110 and they did it behind a strong defensive showing from everyone who saw the floor. Anthony Davis detailed how James was able to contribute on that end of the floor and what it did for the rest of the group.
“Vocal leader. … When he’s there, whether I’m in coverage or going to pick and roll, he’s on that back line and kind of directing traffic to everyone calling our coverages and our schemes and what we’re supposed to be doing,” Davis explained. “So it’s good to have him back from that standpoint.
“It’s good to have him back in terms of size. … To help with rebounding and guarding the paint.”
However, Davis also noted the effect James had in the first quarter with the energy and activity level he brought.
“He had a week off. Had some energy, which kind of brought energy to us. He’s obviously dealing with some stuff, but take a week off and kind of let him heal and get back right and came out with a ton of energy, which kind of got us going in the first quarter.”
James himself noted he felt pretty good in his first game back from his time off and it showed as he was much more explosive and spry than usual. As he nears his 40th birthday, James can’t be expected to go full throttle in the middle of the regular season but it goes to show what he can do with a little extra rest.
While James has previously expressed his desire to play all 82 games, it’s not sustainable and would be a detriment to his overall health. The expectation now is for the Lakers and James to work together to manage his rest and take games off when needed.
LeBron James stresses foot injury is not behind him
While LeBron James was able to return, he stressed that his foot injury isn’t behind him and is something he and the Lakers will have to manage the rest of the way.
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