LeBron James went down with an ankle injury during the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. Here’s the latest update on what happened to the Lakers forward against his hometown team.
Latest Update on LeBron James’ Injury Against the Cavaliers
Because they play in opposite conferences, the Lakers and Cavaliers meet only twice a season. Wednesday marked James’ lone appearance in Cleveland this year, and it did not go his way.
The Lakers controlled the first half, but the momentum shifted after halftime. Adjustments made by Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson paid off, as his team built a double-digit lead.
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Lakers trailed by more than 20 points. James stayed on the floor in an effort to cut into the deficit, but he suffered an injury after an awkward landing.
With more than 11 minutes remaining, James attempted a short jumper over Lonzo Ball. As he came down, he stepped on Ball’s foot and twisted his ankle. He immediately fell to the court, clutching his foot.
🚨 Lebron twisted his ankle by landing on Lonzo Ball pic.twitter.com/lvv6sK7Ko8
— 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝑮𝒐𝒍𝒅 🏆 (@PurpGolded) January 29, 2026
He later got up and continued playing. James remained in the game until just over eight minutes were left, when the Lakers pulled him as the outcome was no longer in doubt.
And now LeBron James has rolled his right ankle. Like so many times before, he re-laces his shoe and walks it off.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) January 29, 2026
It was not the homecoming fans had envisioned. The Cavaliers won 129-99 and held James to 11 points on 3-for-10 shooting, his lowest scoring output since an 8-point game against Toronto on Dec. 4.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers, who were without Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, with 25 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds. Jaylon Tyson added 20 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds, and Jarrett Allen had 17 points and 9 rebounds for Cleveland, which improved to 29-20 after notching its fifth straight win.
Despite the loss, James reached another milestone, becoming the first player in NBA history to log 60,000 regular-season minutes. He now sits more than 2,500 minutes ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is second on the list with 57,446.
The night carried emotional weight as well. James received a warm ovation from Cavaliers fans during introductions and was honored with a tribute video during the game.
The 41-year-old star was visibly moved in what could be his final game in Cleveland, should he retire at season’s end.
