LeBron James’ status was already in question prior to Tuesday, when they were scheduled to play the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Hours before the matchup, his status was officially downgraded to out, and the NBA world had something to say after the announcement.
NBA World Reacts to Devastating LeBron James Injury Update
The Lakers and the Thunder face off for the fourth and final time this season on Tuesday (April 7). However, what was supposed to be a marquee matchup that featured several stars now seems lopsided on paper.
The Lakers were already understrength coming into the matchup with injuries to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Now, they’ll be playing without any of their stars after it was announced that James would also be sidelined as the team manages the injury to his left foot.
Following this update, several in the NBA world decided to troll James and the Lakers.
“FORFEIT THE GAME,” the X page of ‘Real Talk’ said.
FORFEIT THE GAME https://t.co/m1m2zx0bf2
— Real Talk (@realtalkejlt) April 7, 2026
“So serious OKC might have the largest victory in NBA history tonight,” fanpage @30GotNext posted.
“Respectfully nobody is watching this game,” parody account @HoodiiBron said.
“Dude didn’t want to drop a 8/2/4 score line and lose by 50. Makes sense,” @propitlikeit tweeted.
James has been dealing with injury concerns all season long, but this will be the first time he’s been sidelined again after 13 straight appearances.
The Lakers are fighting tooth and nail for a better playoff spot, as they are only half a game behind the Denver Nuggets for the third seed. They are also in a battle to stop the Houston Rockets, who are only a game behind, from overtaking them completely.
With the playoff race in the Western Conference still as tight as ever, every single game remaining on their schedule counts. Losing key superstars in even one contest could have devastating effects for them once they get to the playoffs.
Additionally, this upcoming game against the Thunder is their final regular-season clash. So far, the Lakers have yet to get a single victory in this season series. In fact, their most recent matchup (Thursday, April 2) was a total disaster for LA.
Despite Reaves, James, and Dončić all suiting up, the Thunder still mopped the floor with the Lakers. In that game, the Thunder led from start to finish and were even up by 46 at one point. The final score reflected how overmatched the Lakers were, as they lost 139-96.
With all of them sidelined now, the odds are stacked against the Lakers for tonight’s clash. The Thunder are at full strength, and they are the clear favorites, as can be said for the Larry O’Brien trophy.
