LeBron James injured his groin during the March 8 game against the Boston Celtics and has been sidelined since.
With the Los Angeles Lakers bouncing back from a four-game losing streak with consecutive wins over the Phoenix Suns (107-96) and San Antonio Spurs (125-109), they now face a major challenge against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, March 19, at Crypto.com Arena—without their superstar.
LeBron Officially Ruled Out vs. Nuggets
James aggravated his groin strain against Boston and has since undergone multiple physical evaluations.
Early projections estimated he would miss one to two weeks, with a return expected before the playoffs begin in mid-April. However, he has officially been ruled out for the upcoming game against the Nuggets.
When Could LeBron Return?
ESPN’s Shams Charania provided a key update, reporting that James recently completed his “first on-court workout in LA since his groin strain last weekend.”
While this is a positive step, Charania emphasized that James “is expected to miss at least another week.”
His return will largely depend on how his body reacts to increased activity. “His exact return will be based on how his body responds to increased activity over the coming days and the coming week,” Charania added.
The Lakers are in no rush to bring him back, prioritizing caution given his age and the nature of the injury.
“The Lakers and James will be very cautious. He’s 40 years old. This is a soft tissue injury. We know he’s played heavy minutes this season. He’s coming off the Olympics. Look for him to miss at least another week of game action,” Charania stated.
With this timeline in mind, a potential return date is emerging for March 24, when the Lakers visit the Orlando Magic.
Meanwhile, Rui Hachimura, who has been dealing with left patellar tendinopathy, is set to return this week.
