LeBron James returns to full practice; status for Jazz game still pending
lebron-james-returns-to-practice-lakers-sciatica
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — LeBron James scrimmaged 5-on-5 with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday for the first time since the 2025 playoffs, signaling that his comeback from sciatica could happen as soon as Tuesday’s home matchup with the Utah Jazz.
“We’ve been taking it literally one minute, one hour, one step at a time,” James said after practice. “We’ll see how the body responds over the next 24 hours.”
Head coach JJ Redick said James’ availability against Utah remains “TBD,” noting that the medical staff will monitor how the 21-time All-Star feels following the workout and a possible Tuesday morning shootaround.
The 40-year-old forward missed training camp, the entire preseason and the Lakers’ first 14 games because of nerve pain that radiated from his lower back down his right leg. It is the second time he has dealt with sciatica, the first occurring in the summer of 2023.
“If you’ve never had it, I pray you never get it,” James said. “You wake up hoping you don’t feel it, and you go to bed hoping the same.” He added that extensive mobility work has recently eased the symptoms.
Regaining stamina is the final hurdle. “My lungs feel like a newborn baby,” James joked. “I’ve got to get them back to a grown man.”
The Lakers have opened the season 10-4 without their leading scorer. Redick lightheartedly welcomed James back during a film session, telling players, “We got a new player today.” Guard Austin Reaves called James “the greatest player to ever touch a basketball” and said the team’s younger members grew up watching him.
Whether James’ first appearance of the season comes Tuesday or later in the week, both he and the organization emphasized caution as they weigh his short-term readiness against long-term health.
Source: ESPN
