The Los Angeles Lakers will not have LeBron James for a few games, but there are some hints that he may be out longer than anticipated.
James is sidelined with an abdominal strain, and the Lakers have not put a firm timetable on his potential return. Coach Frank Vogel would only say on Saturday that James will likely be out at least a week, but offered no clarity beyond that.
James’ absence may be longer than that, according to a trainer who spoke to Bill Oram of The Athletic.
Oram spoke to former Lakers strength and conditioning coach Tim DiFrancesco, who said even minor abdominal strains can keep players out for four to eight weeks.
“Especially the way he plays, it’s tough for me to see him getting back under four weeks,” DiFrancesco said. “Then again, he’s a different dude, so I wouldn’t put anything past him. … These are such delicate injuries that can respond to rest with pain relief quickly, but they are highly susceptible to re-injury if returned too quickly.”
DiFrancesco also went into detail about the nature of the injury and recovery from it in an Instagram post.
It’s important to note that this is just one trainer’s opinion. The trainer cited in Oram’s article is not working directly with James. The Lakers’ medical staff may well have a very different opinion.
Initial reports suggested that the Lakers were simply being cautious with James this early in the season and talked about getting James back in one or two weeks.
It is worth noting though that James missed a good chunk of last season with an ankle issue. There are even some fears that his ankle injury has carried over into this season. The Lakers are likely being extra cautious with James.
