NBA legend LeBron James returned to the court for the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night, helping his team secure a 116-110 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The 39-year-old star had been away from the team since Wednesday due to what head coach J.J. Redick described as “personal reasons.”
King James was also listed on the team’s injury report last week and was officially ruled out on Friday with a left foot injury.
James however returned and delivered a great performance for his side, recording 18 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in 34 minutes of play.
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The Lakers improved to 14-10 on the season with the win, and James’ return is sure to be crucial for their season.
Sunday marked LeBron James’ first appearance since last Tuesday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
He missed back-to-back matches against Portland and Minnesota, and those were the first two games he has sat out this season.
“LeBron James is not with the team right now. He’s out for personal reasons, excused absence,” Redick said to reporters last week. “He’s taking some time.”
Coach Redick did not give a specific time for James’ return but revealed ongoing communication with the four-time MVP and his trainer, Mike Mancias, about managing LeBron’s workload as he becomes 40 in a fortnight.
“In-game, he’s asked for a sub a couple times because he’s gassed,” Redick said. “We have to be cognizant of the cumulative effect of playing heavy minutes. Sunday, being banged up with the foot issue, felt like a good opportunity for him to get some rest.”
James’ absence coincided with speculations of a possible trade, as reports linked him to the Golden State Warriors.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst claimed the Warriors are “monitoring” James as they continue their search for another iconic star to complement Stephen Curry.
“The Warriors have dreamed of pairing LeBron with Steph Curry and Draymond Green since last year,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s Get Up.
“They made an inquiry last February, but it was shut down. Now, after LeBron played with Steve Kerr and Steph in the Olympics, the situation is being monitored.”
King James holds a no-trade clause and has reportedly given no indication that he wishes to leave the Lakers.
He instead remains focused on the season, partnering with his son of the court as they look to write more history together before James retires.
In the final days of October, James announced he was stepping away from social media in a post to his Instagram and X followers.
“And with that said, I’ll holla at y’all! Getting off social media for the time being. Y’all take care,” he wrote, adding a peace sign and crown emoji.
The announcement came after a post by Rich Kleiman, the longtime manager of Kevin Durant, criticizing the negativity in sports media.
“We can all acknowledge that sports is the last part of society that universally brings people together. So why can’t the coverage do the same? It’s only clickbait when you say it,” Kleiman wrote.
James echoed those sentiments and responded with, “AMEN!!”
This season has seen loads of off-court distractions and the challenges of managing his workload at 39.
Nonetheless, LeBron James has always showed the character to handle these issues and come up on top, and his return means he will be anchoring the Lakers as they pursue a deep playoff run this season.
