LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 5: LeBron James wears a boot on his injured foot during a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena on March 5, 2023 in Los Angeles, Cheering for his team, California. (Photo by Alan Berezovsky/Getty Images)
The 2023-24 NBA season officially begins with the Los Angeles Lakers media day on Monday. Fans still have training camp and preseason to finish, but after a long summer, the Purple and Gold are finally back.
After Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, people were full of questions about the future of the Lakers. LeBron James has entertained the idea of retiring, and fans don’t know what the lineup will look like in the 2023-24 season.
LeBron ultimately decided to continue his career and was influenced by the moves the Lakers made during the offseason. That wasn’t the only driver for LeBron’s return, though, as the NBA’s all-time scoring leader was able to rehabilitate his injured foot and get back to comfortable shape before the season started.
Lakers news: LeBron James healthy entering 2023-24 season
LeBron dealt with lingering foot issues last season, which definitely had an impact on the way he plays. While LeBron ultimately persevered in the playoffs, he had to pick his spots in the game because he lacked the explosiveness around the rim that he traditionally possesses.
His foot injury was one of the bigger storylines heading into the offseason, with speculation rampant that he might need surgery. LeBron told reporters late last season that if he did need surgery, he wouldn’t tell the media.
It’s unclear whether LeBron underwent surgery, as there were no specific updates over the summer. No matter what LeBron does, it’s clear he’ll be healthy heading into the 2023-24 season.
While this is good news, the Lakers still need to be careful about how they handle LeBron’s workload this season. LeBron is entering his 21st season in the league, and recovery from injuries in year 21 will take much longer than year 10.
But at least the saga surrounding LeBron and his lingering foot issues appears to be a thing of the past. Every Lakers fan can breathe a sigh of relief.