LeBron James missed his second consecutive game on Sunday as the Los Angeles Lakers faced the New York Knicks without him. Despite James’ absence, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves led the Lakers to a 110-97 victory.
While Lakers fans were relieved the team secured a win without James, an NBA analyst criticized the 41-year-old star for not playing.
Skip Bayless Calls LeBron James a ‘Drama King’ Over Injury Absence Against Knicks
James has long been a target of NBA analyst Skip Bayless, who frequently criticizes him on social media and during broadcasts.
Most recently, Bayless called out James for missing the game against the Knicks after being injured on Thursday against the Denver Nuggets. With 4:08 remaining in the fourth quarter, James drove to the basket and landed awkwardly, injuring his elbow and foot.
The Lakers officially listed James as day-to-day with a left elbow contusion and left foot arthritis. Bayless, however, suggested James was exaggerating the injury, citing the replay of the incident.
During the replay, James appeared to land awkwardly, but it was unclear which part of his body was injured. He first grabbed his right elbow before clutching his left elbow.
Bayless interpreted James’ actions as dramatized and posted his criticism on X.
“I guess LeBron banged his elbow on the floor at Denver – no video angle was clear – but he reacted like he was dying and took a lot of on-line heat for being such a Drama King,” Bayless wrote. “So now LBJ has missed 2 games to prove he’s “hurt” – though Lakers listed elbow AND ARTHRITIC FOOT.”
I guess LeBron banged his elbow on the floor at Denver – no video angle was clear – but he reacted like he was dying and took a lot of on-line heat for being such a Drama King. So now LBJ has missed 2 games to prove he’s “hurt” – though Lakers listed elbow AND ARTHRITIC FOOT.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 8, 2026
Due to injuries, James has already failed to reach the NBA’s 65-game minimum required for awards eligibility, ending his All-NBA streak that ran from 2005 to 2025 — the longest in league history.
He missed the first 14 games after dealing with right-side sciatica — nerve pain running from his glute down his leg — that kept him out of training camp and the preseason.
As of this writing, there is no clear timeline for when James is expected to return. Given that he’s day-to-day, it’s likely he won’t be out for too long.
