Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is listed as questionable on the team’s injury report with a calf injury ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings.
James missed Sunday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, but he played Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. He scored 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting in 22 minutes and 39 seconds of playing time. He also added nine rebounds and six assists.
He’s not the only player listed on the Lakers’ injury report. Star Anthony Davis is likely to suffer a hip injury.
The Lakers also listed rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino (right patella contusion), guard Gabe Vincent (left knee fluid) and forward Jared Vanderbilt (left heel slip). Capsulitis) will miss Wednesday’s game.
James missing Wednesday’s game would be surprising, as he was able to rest against the Grizzlies and the Lakers were coming off a blowout win on Tuesday.
On Tuesday night, James set a record for the fewest minutes played in a game all season. The Lakers certainly hope he’ll be in the lineup against the Kings, who received the return of star guard De’Aaron Fox earlier this week.
Fox returns from an ankle injury Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In that game, he scored 28 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists on 11-of-20 shooting. Fox didn’t appear to be limited by minutes during the game.
The Lakers (6-5 this season) lost to the Kings in their first meeting of the 2023-24 season. The game entered overtime, and James finally played 39 minutes and 05 seconds, which was his second-highest total playing time this season.
In the 10 games played this season, James averaged 24.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, shooting 56.7% from the field and 36.5% from three-point range.
The four-time champion is playing at a high level, but the Lakers have shown (by resting James against Portland) that they don’t want to jeopardize his health by overworking him early in the season.
With Davis emerging, the Lakers will likely have at least one star on their roster Wednesday night. As the start of the game approaches, the team should provide an update on James’ status.
The two teams are scheduled to play at 7pm PST at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.