When the Los Angeles Lakers open the 2025-26 season against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21, they won’t have LeBron James in the lineup. James is expected to miss 3-4 weeks with sciatica, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania. It will keep out the first week of the season at minimum, and possibly longer.
LeBron James injury: Sciatica sidelines Lakers star, here’s what that means
LeBron James has sciatica, and he won’t be with the Lakers to start the season.
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Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
James has not played in the Lakers preseason so far, and hasn’t even practiced with the Lakers during their first two weeks of training camp. James is of course the oldest player in the NBA right now. He turns 41 years old in Dec.
Sciatica is a nerve issue that runs from a person’s spine down the back of their leg. James is experiencing it on the right side of his body, according to Charania. “It’s usually caused when a herniated disk or bone spur in the spine presses on the nerve,” according to Google.
James is in the final year of his contract with the Lakers. His agency made some passive-aggressive remarks this offseason that had fans wondering if he could change teams, yet he’s still in Los Angeles. Don’t be surprised if this is James’ last year with the Lakers, whether he retires or changes teams.
The Lakers still have Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, but they simply aren’t as formidable without LeBron. James was named All-NBA Second Team last season after averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game on better-than-average 60.4 percent true shooting.
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