New details emerge about LeBron James’ ankle issue

Apr 4, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts to being called for a foul against the Utah Jazz in the last minute of the fourth quarter at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James sparked concern when he limped off the court following Wednesday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings, and new details have emerged about the Los Angeles Lakers star’s ankle issues.

James dismissed the ankle issue as “something I’ve been dealing with” following the 130-120 loss. He said that the amount of pain varied by day.

Dave McMenamin of ESPN added that James’ injury is thought to be the result of “wear and tear,” and that there are no major concerns about the 39-year-old’s health.

James came into Wednesday’s game with a questionable tag, so this may simply be something he deals with for the remainder of the season. In that sense, it would be similar to the bad foot that plagued James down the stretch last season.

There has been no dropoff in James’ performance recently, no matter how long the ankle has been bothering him. Even though he was obviously in pain Wednesday, he still managed 31 points and 13 assists in 36 minutes. As long as that kind of production continues, don’t expect James to miss any time unless he absolutely has to.