LeBron James will miss his second consecutive game after being excused from the team earlier in the week for “personal reasons.”
The Los Angeles Lakers star, 39, missed the team’s Sunday, December 8 game against the Portland Trail Blazers due to a left foot injury — the first game James had skipped this season.
At the team’s practice on Wednesday, December 11, Lakers head coach JJ Redick explained James’ noticeable absence.
“LeBron is not with the team right now,” Redick, 40, told reporters. “He’s out for personal reasons, excused absence.”
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Redick said James was “taking some time” away from the team as the four-time MVP attempts to get his body right for the rest of his 22nd NBA season.
On Thursday, December 12, the Lakers announced James would not play in the team’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, December 13. The power forward is officially listed out with “left foot soreness.”
Sources told ESPN that James did not accompany the Lakers on their flight to Minnesota.
The Lakers are scheduled to return to the court on Sunday, December 15, at home against the Memphis Grizzlies. James’ status for that game has not yet been announced.
First-year Lakers coach Redick told reporters on Wednesday that James has been admittedly fatigued lately. He last played in the Lakers’ overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, December 6.
“In game, he’s asked for a sub a couple times because he’s gassed,” Redick said. “For us, we have to be cognizant as we play more and more games, just the cumulative effect of playing a lot of minutes, and Sunday, being banged up with the foot thing, it felt like a good opportunity for him to get some rest.”
Things have not been going smoothly for LeBron or the Lakers over the last month. Heading into Friday’s game against the Timberwolves, the team has lost seven of its last 10 games.
James, who will turn 40 on December 30, is averaging 23 points, 9.1 assists and 8.0 rebounds on the season.
Following the Lakers loss to the Hawks, James vented about how injuries to the team’s depth players were making things difficult.
“Mismatching with lineups, we’re trying to figure out ways, obviously,” he said. “So it’s very challenging. We don’t have much room for error. … It’s big, big, big, big pieces.”
James added, “I don’t know as far as what will get us over the hump. We just got to just not drown. Don’t drown and we’ll be alright.”