Nov. 18: James will make his season debut tonight against the Jazz, McMenamin tweets.
Nov. 16: Lakers superstar LeBron James has been recalled from his G League assignment with South Bay and will be a full participant in Monday’s practice, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who says the NBA’s all-time leading scorer is nearing his season debut (Twitter link).
James went through at least two practices with the Lakers’ NBAGL affiliate over the past handful of days, including doing contact five-on-five work, and reportedly showed no ill effects afterward.
This will be James’ first practice with the Lakers in 2025/26, tweets Dan Woike of The Athletic.
Charania reported about a month ago that James was targeting a mid-November return from the nerve issue — sciatica on his right side — that has caused him to miss training camp, the preseason, and the first 14 games of the season. Charania’s ESPN colleague Dave McMenamin recently wrote that James could make his season debut this week, possibly on Tuesday vs. Utah.
When he suits up, James will set a record by playing in his 23rd NBA season.
The Lakers have gotten off to a strong start to the season in James’ absence, currently holding a 10-4 record.
James, who extended his own NBA record by making his 21st consecutive All-NBA team in 2024/25, could see that streak come to an end in ’25/26 due to the 65-game rule. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan hold a three-way tie for the second-most All-NBA appearances with 15 apiece.
The 40-year-old forward, who also made his record-extending 21st straight All-Star appearance in ’24/25, remained highly productive last season, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 70 games (34.9 minutes per contest). His shooting slash line was .513/.376/.782.
However, James’ ’24/25 season ended in disappointing fashion as the Lakers were ousted by Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs and he suffered an MCL sprain late in the final game.
James opted into his $52.6MM player option over the summer. He holds a no-trade clause and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
talk about pressure. Lakers are doing very good without him. If they play worse with him does that mean he gets traded?
No
He has a no trade clause
Maybe he wants out because Luka and he play the exact same position in the exact same way?
Or maybe he sees this as potentially an excellent chance to get a ring.
It looks like the refs are back on the one-sided officiating in the Lakers’ favor thing, as the 22-8 fta 2nd half last night showed.
So gross. I hate how corrupt this league is. They should change the rules so you only get side outs after you reach 10 FTAs for a half. Stop sending guys to the line, stop letting grifterball exist.
They would never do that, because then Curry would never lose a game.
So. You can still try to trade him and see if he waives it or gets super offended. Trade him to Cleveland
Yeah and the earth could stop spinning tomorrow. Doesn’t mean I entertain highly unlikely scenarios just because it’s theoretically possible under your mental gymnastics
Nobody want LeBron and the NBA has moved on. If you notice less coverage about LeBron and the Lakers want the 50 million off the cap so they can build around Luka. No team will trade for him just like nobody would have drafted bronnie. It cluch spots putting that information out
“Nobody wants LeBron”
We got a basketball genius here!
Did you say something breaking with wack insult keyboard warrior. I bet you’re really popular with those jokes
Since it’s the weekend, let’s run this one more time……
“THE PULSE OF THE HRC (Hoops Rumors Commenters)”, Installment No. 1……….
Let’s go ahead and take the pulse of the HRC, shall we? On a scale of 1 to 5 (‘5’ being your excitement level is “through the roof”), how excited are you to see LeBron James return to the Lakers and begin his 23rd season in the NBA as a player?
NOTE: decimal points may be used
ADDITIONAL NOTE: I will not be participating in this installment
3. I’m a Celtics fan so I can’t stand the lakers. But as a fan of the game, it’s been fun to watch.
About 3.5. I’m not a Lakers fan but I’m a basketball fan and I want see how the Lakers are at full strength.
4 as a Sixers fan it doesn’t really affect me but I’m also a Lebron fan and glad to see him back. Really cool he’s getting another NBA record.
He’s also in my fantasy team and could do with the stats as I’m 3rd and up against the guy in 1st lol
1.3938014777 I’m so sick of bro
Davey J maaaaaan this off season you wanted the warriors to trade for Bron! I don’t blame you tho in either case though.
I was predicting it, I don’t necessarily agree with my own predictions personally. Like watching a car crash, yknow? I don’t want to see that, but here I am with it happening in front of me.
Bron also is very visibly broken now, I didn’t know that before.
Fair enough! I wouldn’t have minded watching Bron and Steph cook.
Hey I went to the hawks pistons game tonight. Good game!
Some interesting Lakers stats:
1. The Lakers are 10-4, and 10 of their 14 games were against teams with a winning record.
2. Missed Games: Bron 14, Luka 4, AR 3, Smart 4.
3. The Lakers have the third easiest remaining strength of schedule.
This team should host at least first round in playoffs and are real contenders if healthy!
1. its literally November
2. see 1.
Lakers 437 FTA, Opponents 346
Lakers 303 PF, Opponents 353
Usual Laker protection by the league.
This
Damon Jones called …. Wants to know which game will you play Bron ?? $$
It will be swept under the rug or Damon Jones is the fall guy
I have always been about this. To start the season give a team 20-25 gms. Then you will have something concrete to talk about. Lakers are playing well right now. Thats without Bron playing. A 41 yr old phenom.
And one their starters. I wonder most if he will recognize Luka 33 lbs lighter ??!?
It’s Luka’s team now, LBJ better be in Robin mentality.
He has always had a Robin mindset though
Over under on how many games Bron plays before he gets indicted is at 7.5.
Over under on how many times you think about LeBron a day is 33.5
LeBron will retire this offseason.
By the time NBA Europe kicks off …. LeBron will stage Decision 2.1 where it’ll be announced, he’ll be taking his talents to the Manchester Hooligans.
I honestly think Bron is waiting for Steph to retire first lol
I believe this is his last yr too. His next move is to be an owner. Only that Vegas team is not looking as good as it once was.
Yeah last year was about playing with his son and this year I think is about setting the record for most seasons. He wants to leave the lakers on a high and with Luka they are. It’ll also be good if he retires before his body gives out or he falls off.
Also agree I think ownership is the next step and I think it’ll be Vegas. Be cool the see the the pelicans move there and start fresh, New Orleans hasn’t taken off. Their owner died a while back and his wife inherited the teams he owned. They have a small market, bottom 10 in attendance and Vegas has the money and would draw many eyes and is full of money
Team ownership is Lebron’s obvious next step ……. aside from the money upside, gloriously succeeding in the field where MJ gloriously failed won’t be nothing, years from now.
However, with all these prop bets / gambling scandals, Vegas might not be in the immediate cards for Silver ……. I think.
Since when has Lebron ever done anything in a classy and feelgood fashion? He will likely try (and fail) to play til he’s like, 45, and will go on a ring-chasing retirement tour and likely play on the Spurs, Knicks and Cavs again before calling it quits forever while in a Cavs uniform. He will be plagued with injuries every single one of these retirement tour seasons. I can see this coming from a mile away. I hope you are right, but Bron being Bron…I think my prediction might be closer to what happens.
Bro Lebron doesn’t have enough money to own in NBA team. If he did he would not be playing for $50 million. The reason why. Jordan was able to own a NBA team is because he had stock in Nike and basically built Nike to what it is with his Jordan brand that he owns 50% of. Lebron doesn’t have any assets or any company that makes that much money. Bron is not a real billionaire Just like during Trump’s first term he wasn’t a billionaire. Trump might be one now but he wasn’t when he first became president.
If you don’t understand that then you don’t know anything about money. LeBron has enough money to be a minority owner but would need need a bunch of capital to become the majority owner and he doesn’t have that
1. Lebron is lowkey a billionaire.
2. Alex Rodriguez?
No he is not. If he is it’s all his assets combined. He might get there. No billionaire plays for 50 million dollars. If you understand taxes and stuff. Also what business does he own that would give him or worth 500-600 million? He doesn’t have that in cash or stocks that information is available as a high stock holder. He is not a billionaire
Wrong. Read and learn:
James has earned more than $500 million in pretax salary from stints with the Cavaliers, the Miami Heat and his current team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
He has raked in upwards of $900 million (pretax) off the court, according to Forbes estimates, from his business ventures and endorsement deals with brands including Nike.
Key to his billionaire status: James has been more than a pitchman, taking equity in brands he works with, including Beats by Dre.
link to forbes.com
You are using Forbes who estimates people’s Network and that’s based on what you provide to Forbes. Sense you obviously don’t know anything about money let me educate you
First he made 580 as W2 employee meaning he has paid around 246 million in taxes with the best CPA on the planet. That’s not including retirement fund agent fees in a bunch of other stuff.
He only made 30 million by beats by Dre again. Another 30 million that he is a Independent contractor (w2) however you want to see it so that 17.5 off that. Let’s just say over the last 10 years he’s made an additional $300 or $400 million from all his other deals. That’s wayy under a billion.
2nd to by a team and be the majority owner you’re going to need at least 3 to 4 billion to be the majority on owner.
The difference is Jordan received stock in Nike in 1985 and owns the Jordan brand which is still the number one selling basketball shoe in America. Nobody wears LeBrons anymore And the shoe most likely won’t be selling once he. and sure he has some stock but it not over a billion or whatever.
Now Total all his house cars and everything. Would take years to sell to get fair value. (Especially in the economy that we’re living in) He is not a billionaire. No way in this moment. Could he go get a billion dollars? If he sold all his assets, they wouldn’t sell at the price that he wants to sell them in a short sale. Those are just facts
Yes, I am including everything, not just NBA salary.
Trying to outlive the sacrifice ritual
Mark Walter is using the dodger model. Sit out as long as you can and be healthy for the post season
Jebron Lames is washed. He knows it.
The “Chosen Game” ……. ….. the Jazz
Soft game for soft Bron. Hope Lauri dumps 70 on his washed up head.
What happened to your warriors today Davey? Will any players besides Curry and Butler be able to score this year?
It’s why he’s in a foul mood about LeBron and the Lakers lol
I’m always in a foul mood about Lebron, that mf stole a title from my 73-9 team lol
Davey,
Are you mad about the Raptors 2019 title just as much as the 2016 Cavs title? lol
Not really, the Raptors had incredible depth that season and the Warriors were top heavy but lost that top to injury (Cousins, Durant, Klay).
Warriors play bad in Nov+Dec every single year in the 2020’s and the corrupt moron Steve Kerr still plays 4 SGs on court at the same time for long stretches as the deficit gets bigger. You cannot play 3 or 4 of Buddy, Podz, GP2 and Steph together at the same time, the defense is not there, they are too small. I repeat this on here like every week. This tactic has not worked for 4 years now and yet it’s always (predictable) Kerr’s go-to move. Steph and Jimmy torched the Magic but Podz and GP2 are terrible, terrible players right now. Too small, no defense, offense is bad, low IQ players…
But also this schedule is nasty. GSW will finish the year strong once they get past this idiotic scheduling with a million back to backs right off the jump.
Better check the schedule again -GSW has 27 games after the ASB, with 14 on the road and 6 B2Bs (3 rd/rd, 1 hm/rd, 2 hm/hm). Another brutal 6 game east rd trip with 3 games in 4 nights twice on the same trip.
What the? I mean Lakers/Kings B2B isn’t a big deal but how can the NBA screw over the Warriors on the sched for an ENTIRE season???
If the Warriors still finish top 4 then everyone gotta admit Curry is the #1 GOAT.
Then you look at the Nuggets schedule post ASB:
26 games after the ASB, but just 11 on the road and 5 B2Bs (1 rd/rd, 2 hm/rd, 1 rd/hm, 1 hm/hm).
OKC:
26 games after the ASB, 13 on the road and 5 B2Bs (4 Rd/rd, but 1 is the travel free Lakers/Clippers set). I wonder why we never get that 2 gm road set…
1. And a lifelong Lakers fan. We hate him and his stupid kid hijacking the franchise.
Lebron hijacking a team, you say? Haven’t heard that one three times before.
Old man will be sidelined for “rest” half of the season. Go away. Your +/- just took a hit
Some real morons, in here…
Impossible to have a real Lebron convo in here
His play last night was Fkn incredible, poetry for the eyes, cleaning crew still trying to pick up all those dimes he left on the floor last night.
That felt like showtime Lakers the last 20 mins and LBJ’s passing was the #1 catalyst
And yet….
18 FTA vs 40 says…you watched grifterball last night. Also it’s the Jazz, literally nothing done vs them is “Fkn incredible” lol
Passing to Luka is a soft assist. 11 points from the supposed “best scorer of all time” is always an L. Elevating a game vs one of the worst teams in the league to “poetry for the eyes” is an L.
Hampton’s 5 was better than Showtime Lakers by a million miles and had like 90% of the games over in 3 quarters. This is why we make fun of Lebron and his mindless stans. They say stuff like you just said. It’s all exaggerations, the real GOAT player is Curry and the GOAT team are the Hampton’s 5 Warriors.
I’m guessing you just didn’t watch the game
Beautiful basketball, incredible passing, any fan of the game would appreciate it
I’m guessing you also didn’t watch the showtime Lakers to get the reference .
My post had nothing to do with Hampton 5 or Lebrons career, it had to do with last night….which I’m assuming you didn’t watch. Stay on topic
What does the first line in my post say?
You taking Klutch checks, Cap &?
It says you read a stat column and didn’t watch the game nor probably appreciate it all that much
LeBron’s passing was next level alien brains , if you didn’t watch it (last 20 mins in particular like I alluded above) I’m not all that interested in yapping with you about it nor the Hampton 5 nor Stephanie in a game in which he wasn’t in . Time and place good Sir