LeBron James is progressing toward his first game of the 2023-24 campaign after sitting out the Los Angeles Lakers’ opening eight contests, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Charania reported that the 38-year-old forward has shifted from individual workouts to preparing for full five-on-five sessions, the final hurdle before game action. James will remain in Los Angeles during the Lakers’ upcoming five-game trip that begins this weekend in Atlanta, Charania and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin added.
The team has not decided whether the live scrimmages will take place with the G-League’s South Bay Lakers in El Segundo or after the NBA club returns home on Nov. 15. ESPN’s Malika Andrews indicated that the earliest realistic target for James’ return is Nov. 18, when the Lakers host the Utah Jazz.
Los Angeles has opened the season 7-2, securing a narrow victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday despite James’ absence and intermittent lineup shuffles that have also kept Luka Doncic out of four of the first eight games. When he finally steps on the floor, James will become the first player in league history to appear in 23 NBA seasons.
Source: Hoops Wire
