Los Angeles Lakers fans held their collective breath on Saturday after LeBron James suffered a groin injury against the Boston Celtics.
James left the Lakers’ prime time matchup against the Celtics with just over seven minutes left at TD Garden in Boston, Mass. The Lakers star made a couple of spin moves in the paint that appeared to strain his groin (video here). He exited the contest with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists on 11/23 shooting as the Lakers lost 111-101 without him.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported there is belief internally that LeBron would be sidelined for “a matter of weeks” and “not a matter of days.”
LeBron did not sound as worried when he spoke to reporters about the severity of the injury. He believed there is “not much concern” with the issue going forward. For what it’s worth, James pegged himself to be day-to-day pending further tests.
However, James did admit that his mind immediately went to the groin injury he suffered during the 2018-19 season, his first year with the Lakers. That year, LeBron hurt his groin during the Lakers’ Christmas Day matchup against the Golden State Warriors. He missed 17 games following the injury.
James added that he does not think his current injury is anywhere as severe as the one he suffered in 2018. But he made sure to knock on the wooden locker behind him after bringing it up.
The Lakers entered Saturday’s contest on an 8-game winning streak and tied with the Denver Nuggets for the second-best record in the West. If James has to miss any time, Luka Doncic will have to carry the load for the Lakers with just 20 games left in their season.
