The Los Angeles Lakers entered the All-Star break on a solid run and sport a 33-21 record going into Friday night’s clash against the intracity-rival Clippers, while also holding the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.
But just before the game, some concerning news emerged about LeBron James, and Lakers fans are now holding their breath.
NBA Insider’s Latest Revelation Regarding LeBron James
It was only a day ago that Lakers fans had something to smile about. For the first time in a while, the Lakers had no players listed on the injury report.
Everyone was healthy, and it really felt like the team was heading into the Clippers game at full strength. Then, things took a turn for the worse.
NBA insider Dave McMenamin reported on his X account that James woke up Friday morning with soreness in his left knee. As a result, there is now a real possibility that he will not suit up for tonight’s game against the Clippers.
“JJ Redick says LeBron James woke up with some soreness in his left knee after not being limited at practice Thursday. Redick says James will go through his pregame routine to determine if he will be able to give it a go vs. the Clippers,” McMenamin wrote on X.
NBA reporter Dan Woike also reported that James will go through his normal pregame routine, but whether or not he actually plays will come down to a game-time decision.
LeBron James will go through his normal pregame routine – he’ll be a gametime decision.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) February 21, 2026
James is 41 years old and is playing in his 23rd season in the NBA. At that juncture, waking up with soreness or stiffness in your joints isn’t exactly surprising. Given all the years his teams have participated deep into postseasons, the future Hall of Famer has accrued plenty of mileage on his proverbial tires.
LeBron has already missed 19 games this season, with the majority of those absences the result of leg issues. His most recent absence came on Feb. 10 against the San Antonio Spurs, and that was due to arthritis. Despite the health struggles, LeBron is still averaging 22.0 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game.
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If James does end up sitting out, the Lakers will lean heavily on Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Both players were already reported to be at full strength heading into Friday night.
“JJ Redick, after LA’s first practice back on the court today, said it looks like the Lakers will have everybody back on the court for tomorrow night’s game, including Luka Dončić… Austin Reaves will also be off his minutes restriction,” NBA reporter Mike Trudell relayed a day ago.
Dončić is currently averaging an impressive 32.8 points per game, while Reaves is putting up 25.4 points per game. Their offensive contributions figure to be even more crucial than usual if the Lakers are forced to take the floor without the King.
Friday’s matchup against the Clippers is scheduled to tip off at 10 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena. For now, all eyes are on James and how he feels after his pregame routine.
