LeBron James out indefinitely with right ankle sprain
The Los Angeles Lakers have been without Anthony Davis for weeks. Now LeBron James could be out for a while as well.
James exited Saturday's game against the Atlanta Hawks after forward Solomon Hill landed on his ankle while lunging for the ball. James remained in the game for another possession and even hit a 3-pointer, but he eventually left for the locker room while limping.
Bron appears to turn his ankle, stays in the game and hits a three, then heads to the locker room pic.twitter.com/OdTrDW77o1
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 20, 2021
The Lakers soon announced that James was out for the rest of the game with a right ankle injury. ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that James would undergo an MRI on the ankle, while ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that X-rays on the ankle were negative.
Yahoo's Chris Haynes later reported that James had been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain and will be out indefinitely. James tweeted confirmation he had suffered some kind of injury, saying a "road back from recovery" has begun.
Nothing angers and saddens me more than not being available to and for my teammates! I’m hurt inside and out right now. 🤦🏾♂️. The road back from recovery begins now. Back soon like I never left. #ThekidfromAKRON🤴🏾
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 21, 2021
Lakers coach Frank Vogel had no more details to provide on the injury after the game, a 99-94 Lakers loss. However, Lakers big man Montrezl Harrell did say the team doesn't believe Hill was making a basketball play when he injured James:
Montrezl Harrell on Solomon Hill's dive into LeBron: "We don't feel like it was one of those basketball-type plays."
On follow-up: "He had to go through his leg to get the ball." Says he didn't think he intend to hurt James but that it's something that the league should look at.— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) March 20, 2021
James' 3-pointer actually ended up mattering in one obscure area, as it gave him 10 points for the game. That was just enough to continue James' streak of scoring in double figures, which now stands at an NBA-record 1,036 games.
Another big blow for the Lakers
It goes without saying that missing James for any amount of time is an enormous blow for the Lakers. The four-time MVP is currently averaging 25.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game, and has been shouldering even more of the load on offense recently.
The Lakers were already without Davis, whom Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported Monday would be out for at least three more weeks. Now, the team — currently third in the Western Conference with a 28-14 record — must forge on without its two superstars.
James' injury will also have ripple effects in a competitive MVP race. Joel Embiid's recent knee injury created an opening for James to get his fifth MVP award, but now James will likely face the same obstacle of missing several games.
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