Lakers star LeBron James flew back to Los Angeles early for knee treatment
LeBron James’ knee injury appears to be worse than the Los Angeles Lakers initially thought.
James left the Lakers on Saturday and flew back to Los Angeles to get treatment on his knee, coach Frank Vogel said on Sunday. An MRI on his knee revealed “general swelling,” and James is now out for the foreseeable future.
“As long as the swelling is there, he is going to be out,” Vogel said, via Spectrum SportsNet. “Hopefully we’ll get him back as soon as we can.”
“As long as the swelling is there, he is going to be out.” Frank Vogel with an injury update on @KingJames. pic.twitter.com/r7JQ0y1pYU
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 30, 2022
James first missed the Lakers’ 105-87 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday after he woke up that morning with knee soreness. It’s unclear if anything specifically caused the issue, though Vogel didn’t seem too concerned at the time.
James, at least on social media, clearly wasn't happy.
🤬🤬🤬🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 27, 2022
The 37-year-old has averaged 29.1 points this season, which is his highest output since the 2009-10 season and the second-highest average in the league. He is also averaging 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 36 games this season. Prior to Thursday’s absence, James went 18 straight games scoring at least 25 points.
Though James’ early departure isn’t a good sign, the Lakers’ six-game road trip ended Sunday with their 129-121 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Trae Young dropped 36 points with 12 assists in the win for Atlanta, its seventh straight win.
The Lakers went just 2-6 on the road, and will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. While it’s unclear when James will be able to return, Vogel said he’s not going to be too involved with that process.
As James is in his 19th season in the league, he knows how important a proper return is.
"I think about it every day," Vogel said, via ESPN. "We're always mindful of the load that he's carrying, in constant communication with him and the medical team. And in terms of what we do going forward with the knee and where he's at, it's really a heavy lean on the medical staff and [trainer] Mike Mancias and what they feel is best. It's really not a head-coach thing as much as it is relying on the medical team."
