Report: LeBron James to sit out for preseason opener against Warriors on Oct. 8th, 2023
LeBron James is entering his 21st season with no signs of slowing down. Despite not being the same caliber of player he was when he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat, James remains one of the NBA's elite stars.
However, James will not be playing in the LA Lakers' preseason game against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, according to Spectrum SportsNet's Mike Trudell.
Additionally, Lakers coach Darvin Ham also provided an update.
"He's in phenomenal shape," Ham said, "and he's probably played more than the rest of our roster combined (excluding Anthony Davis)."
According to Trudell, this continues an ongoing routine with James and the Lakers organization where he'll miss preseason games. This is part of his load management plan due to the number of minutes he averages during the regular season.
In the previous season, James averaged 35.5 minutes and played in 55 games. During those 55 games, he averaged 28.9 points (50.0% shooting, including 32.1% from 3-point range), 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.
LeBron James talks about decision to return for his 21st NBA season
The LA Lakers were swept in the 2023 Western Conference finals by the Denver Nuggets. Even so, LeBron James still put up 27.8 ppg (51.9% shooting, including 26.9% from 3-point range), 10.0 apg and 9.5 rpg.
However, James saw it differently as he talked about contemplating calling it a career after 20 seasons, as per his interview with The Associated Press' Greg Beacham.
"I feel like I've got more in the tank to give," James said. "At that moment, I didn't. I was exhausted. I was tired. Mentally, I was in 20 different places. ... But I'm happy to be returning for another season and helping to lead this team to the promised land. That's just the goal."
From LeBron James' point of view, he still sees himself as a player who can compete at the highest basketball level among the best that the league has to offer.
Throughout an impressive NBA career, he has already won four championships, four MVP awards and four Finals MVP awards. Even if his legacy already speaks for itself, he remains focused on the upcoming season to lead his team on another championship run.