What is LeBron James' injury status? Viral video shows Lakers star allegedly limping while exiting the arena after Dallas Mavericks game
LeBron James and the LA Lakers made a historic comeback on Sunday versus Dallas, rallying from 27 points down to win 111-108. The win marked one of the Lakers’ signature wins of the season and their largest comeback since 2002.
This comes as the team continues to fight for a playoff spot (29-32, 12th in the West). However, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for Los Angeles, as James suffered an apparent right foot injury with 3:15 left in the third quarter. James' injury caused him to roll on the floor in agony, grimacing and clutching at his foot.
“I heard a pop,” James could be heard saying multiple times to his teammates after the play.
Despite the injury, James stayed in the game. He finished with 26 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block on 43.5% shooting.
Following the game, James spoke about how his foot wasn’t feeling too great. He then explained that he still opted to play through the pain given the significance of the game.
“It’s been better,” James said.
“But I definitely wasn’t going to the locker room and not finishing the game. The importance of this game and then the momentum that we had, I felt like we could steal one after being down,” James continued.
LeBron James says his foot “has been better” but said he was definitely going to finish the game. He’ll monitor it the next couple of days.
James was later seen limping his way out of the arena, which only added to concern among Lakers fans.
However, Lakers coach Darvin Ham added that James should be fine and that he would be re-evaluated Monday morning.
"He's good. Our medical people are looking at him right now, and we'll get a re-evaluation in the morning,” Ham said.
Darvin Ham on LeBron's right foot/ankle: "He's good. Our medical people are looking at him right now, and we'll get a reevaluation in the morning."
Says he didn't personally hear LeBron say something popped.
LeBron James has been a staple on the injury report this season due to left foot and left ankle soreness. So adding a possible injury to his right foot into the mix should certainly be concerning for Lakers fans.
As of now, James is still listed as day-to-day. This means he should be considered questionable for the Lakers’ next game on Tuesday versus Memphis (36-23, second in the West).
Also read this: What is the largest comeback in NBA history as of February 2023? Closer look at record-setting win and stats after Lakers win vs Dallas arrives 8th
Or this: Fans in awe as LeBron and AD-inspired Lakers mount huge comeback win vs Dallas, with Patrick Mahomes attending: "We tried to warn you!"
How have the Lakers fared without LeBron James this season?
If LeBron James is ultimately forced to miss some time due to his right foot injury, it certainly won’t be ideal timing for the Lakers. The team is finally gaining traction, having won three straight games and four of their last five. The loss of James would derail both this momentum and the Lakers' playoff hopes.
LeBron James is averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 0.9 steals per game on 50.1% shooting.
LA is 24-23 this season when James plays and just 5-9 without him. Only 21 games are remaining for the Lakers this season. Meanwhile, they still sit 1.5 games behind the eighth seed. This means that every game will be considered a must-win for the team moving forward. So the Lakers can’t afford to tread water with or without James.