There is a long history between Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and the Golden State Warriors dating back a decade now. As a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, James faced off with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in four consecutive NBA Finals and since joining the Lakers, there have been multiple classic battles as well as meetings in both the playoffs and the Play-In Tournament.
This was supposed to be the case once again on NBA Opening Night, but unfortunately LeBron sat out the Lakers contest against the Warriors as he deals with sciatica. The nerve issue is not something to be taken lightly and Green understands that personally as he has dealt with it himself.
Following the contest, a 10-point Warriors victory, Green spoke on how different it was to face the Lakers with LeBron on the sideline, while also wishing the superstar a speedy recovery.
“It’s always different when he’s not out there,” Green said. “Obviously, we’ve had battles with Luka as well. Luka’s an incredible player, but LeBron [James] is [Le]Bron [James], and the battles that we’ve had over the years, you look forward to those, you know? And so it was very odd. He [doesn’t] miss many games, let alone a season opener. It’s really odd not seeing him out there. You look over and he’s sitting in street clothes. That’s also why you go out and get a Luka Doncic. ‘[Because] he’s a one and two, you know? He showed that tonight.
“I’ve dealt with what LeBron [James] is dealing with, so I don’t wish that on my worst enemy. You’ve lived that all day. Every day you sit down and your leg and your glutes start jumping. Just standing there talking to someone, you get pain shooting down your leg and cramps. I’ve lived that. [I’m] wishing him a speedy recovery. And the thing about it is, there’s no real timetable.”
That last part is what has to be most concerning with this sciatica issue. Because it is a nerve problem, there really is no timetable for it to heal properly and it could always pop back up. It could turn out to just be a case of LeBron figuring out how best to deal with the pain and discomfort above anything else.
But there is no doubt that James will be fighting to get back on the court as soon as he can and he will be looking forward to that next meeting with the Warriors as much as Green himself.
JJ Redick discusses Lakers’ continued third quarter issues
A major reason for the Lakers’ loss to the Warriors was a poor start to the third quarter in which they were outscored 19-4 coming out of halftime. Poor third quarters have been an issue for the Lakers for years now and head coach JJ Redick spoke about his team’s need to fix this issue immediately.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
