Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James still has not said publicly whether he has had surgery for the foot injury he suffered last season.
Speaking with reporters at Monday’s media day, James briefly discussed the rehabbing he’s undergone over the summer to get his foot back to full strength heading into the 2023-24 season:
“I spent a lot of time this summer rehabbing it and getting it back to where it needs to be. But my foot responded really well in the offseason workouts. Looking forward to seeing how it responds in training camp and throughout the preseason. .”Regular season. It was great to see how I performed today. “
Head coach Davon Hamm told reporters last week that the team intends to manage James’ “game-by-game minutes, big picture, month-to-month, different parts of the calendar” to keep him healthy.
Amid speculation about injuries last season, James said he would not reveal any potential surgery if he ultimately chose it.
“I don’t know,” James told reporters on March 26 when asked about the possibility of surgery. “Right now, I don’t need it, so we’ll see what happens. I’ll probably get another MRI at the end of the season and go from there. But if I end up having to have surgery after the season, you guys don’t Will know. I’m not going to talk to you guys in the offseason, and by the time next season starts, I’ll be fine. I’ll be ready to go.”
James is frequently injured during the 2022-23 season. He played in 55 games, tying the fewest regular-season games of 82.
The biggest injury James has ever suffered is tendon tear He injured his foot on February 26 against the Dallas Mavericks. He lost 13 consecutive games before returning to the lineup on March 26.
Shams Charania of “The Athletic and Stadium” reported on May 26 that James may need offseason surgery to repair a tendon injury in his foot.
Charania noted that if James undergoes surgery, he could miss two months in the offseason but is expected to be healthy by training camp. There is no indication he underwent surgery.
James played through an injury during the Lakers’ playoff run. He averaged 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 16 playoff starts, showing a high level of performance.
On May 22, the Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets at the end of the season. James played just four seconds at the end of the second quarter and scored 40 points.
The 19-time All-Star did talk about the possibility of retiring immediately after the loss to the Nuggets. He ended speculation about his future at the ESPY Awards in July, saying he would leave when he couldn’t give it all he had: “You guys are lucky that day is not today.”
Even in his 20th season, James continues to battle injuries and remains a dominant force for the Lakers. He played 55 games in the regular season, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game, and was selected to the NBA All-NBA Third Team.
When James plays the first game of the 2023-24 season, he will become the sixth player to spend at least 21 seasons in the NBA.
The Lakers will play a rematch of this season’s Western Conference Finals with the Nuggets on October 24.