LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t finish their Saturday game against the Boston Celtics due to a groin injury. James played 34 minutes and finished the game with 22 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists on 47.8% shooting from the field. He couldn’t finish the game as he exited in the fourth quarter, resulting in a 111-101 loss.
On Sunday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that James is likely to miss at least one to two weeks because of a groin strain. According to Charania, the 6-foot-9 forward will wait for 24 hours for his injury to calm down before getting another evaluation.
With his injury, the Lakers have taken a blow. In their injury report for their Monday game against the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles has listed James as out. Additionally, the team has listed Rui Hachimura (left patellar tendinopathy) and Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle soreness) as out.
With the recent blow to their key players and James, ESPN’s Bob Myers believes it could affect their place in the Western Conference.
“If it goes past two weeks, they could easily fall to fourth [place],” Myers said. “The cushion isn’t huge, they got 22 losses, Denver’s got 23, Memphis has 24, Houston has 25. That’s a three-game difference between them and Houston.
“I could see them slipping.”
"If [LeBron's groin injury] goes past two weeks, [the Lakers] could easily fall to 4th [in the West]."
Bob Myers doesn't think the Lakers have enough of a cushion to be comfortable 😳 pic.twitter.com/SIomxw7iCw
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 10, 2025
The former executive for the Golden State Warriors also pointed out how All-Star Luka Doncic acted against the Celtics. During the game, the Lakers’ medical staff had to attend to Doncic as his back was affecting him differently.
Myers pointed out that if something serious happens to Doncic’s back, it could affect where the Lakers are in the standings. The Purple & Gold team is second in the Western Conference with a 40-22 record.
Stephen A. Smith isn’t concerned with LeBron James and the Lakers
While fans and other experts have vocalized their concern for LeBron James and his groin injury, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith expressed how he isn’t bothered by the star’s temporary absence from his team. According to him, his reason is that Doncic has been able to dominate, helping the team put up a fight against their longtime rivals.
“I want to say this. I’m not that concerned. and here’s the reason why, because whenever it is that he comes back healthy, the bottom line is the Lakers have looked the way they looked prior to the night because of him on the court,” Smith said. “What I was most impressed by was that Luka wasn’t healthy, either. And he still dropped 34.
“If that Luka continues to ascend once LeBron returns this could be a preview.”
Doncic finished the game with 34 points, eight rebounds and three assists on 50% shooting from the field. However, it wasn’t enough to lead the Lakers to a victory.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
