LeBron James injury update: Lakers star headed to G League after being cleared to practice for first time this season
- - LeBron James injury update: Lakers star headed to G League after being cleared to practice for first time this season
Chris Cwik November 12, 2025 at 9:58 PM
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Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is inching closer to a return. James was reportedly assigned to the G League on Wednesday after he was cleared to take part in practice for the first time this season, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
James is expected to practice in full, including taking part in 5-by-5 drills, per Charania.
Lakers' LeBron James was assigned to the franchise's NBA G League affiliate, South Bay, today and will participate in his first full practice of the season, including 5-on-5 play, as he works toward a debut.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 12, 2025
James, 40, has been sidelined since training camp due to sciatica. He's battled the injury since camp opened, and missed the entire preseason due to the issue. While it initially appeared James had a chance to recover in time for the regular season, it was eventually determined he would miss three-to-four weeks due to the injury.
That timeline forced James to miss the team's season-opener against the Golden State Warriors. Without James, the Lakers fell 119-109 in that game.
The team recovered from that loss nicely, and sits at 8-3 despite James missing the entire regular season and Luka Dončić missing four games due to his own injury. With both players sidelined, 27-year-old guard Austin Reaves has picked up the slack. Reaves has taken his game to another level this season. After averaging 20.2 points last year, Reaves is averaging 30.3 points through his first eight games.
Though James is inching closer to a return, the Lakers have not set a timetable for his first game. The team will likely see how James performs in practice before making that call. With James heading to the G League, he won't take the court when the team takes on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. The team's next game will take place Friday, when the Lakers go on the road to face the New Orleans Pelicans.
James has his eyes on another championship as he prepares to begin his 23rd season in the NBA. Despite his age, James still put up excellent numbers last season, averaging 24.4. points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds.
Source: “AOL Sports”
