The return of LeBron James after personal problems and a foot injury may not mean the end of the Los Angeles Lakers’ misery.
As the four-time MVP told reporters after LA’s 116-110 win over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies, the foot injury hasn’t gone anywhere.
“It’s not behind me,” James, 39, told reporters. “It’s an everyday thing.”
James says it’s something he’s battled for years, even as he continues to play at a high level. For example, the Akron native is averaging 9.1 assists and 8 rebounds per game this season – both higher than his career marks of 7.4 and 7.5, respectively.
And while his scoring average of 22.8 points per game would be his lowest since his rookie season in 2003-04, he’s still making 36.5 percent of his three-point attempts and 74.3 percent of his free throws, both of which are also improvements from compared to its performance. career averages.
James had eight rebounds and eight assists to go with 18 points in his return on Sunday, although he failed to explain his absence for what coach JJ Redick previously described as “personal reasons.”
LeBron James handles the ball during Sunday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies
“I felt pretty good,” James said of his performance Sunday. “It’s rare that you can take advantage of the schedule over the course of the season, and I was able to do that this past week.”
James is the NBA’s oldest player, turning 40 on December 30. Including the playoffs, no player in the history of the league has appeared in more games or played more minutes than James, who is in his 22nd season and Vince Carter ties for the NBA record.
“I felt my foot, felt my body… I was doing my pregame workout that Sunday for the Portland game and decided it was probably best if I took that day off,” James said. “I had the opportunity to take more days and get my mind, body and everything where I wanted to be tonight, and I did it.”
Redick indicated he would appreciate it if James needed a few days off.
“I played 15 (years) and was emotionally, mentally, physically exhausted, fried,” Redick said. “I put everything I had into this game. I had nothing left. For guys like him and (Chris Paul), the Tom Brady’s of the world, the Roger Federer’s of the world, it’s hard to fathom being able to achieve that level of sustained excellence for so long because of the toll it takes on all of you , and not from all of you. just your body.”
James said he spent most of his time away from home rehabbing his foot and training to stay in competition shape.
“It was a very easy decision for myself and for the team and for my coach to be able to take advantage of those days, just for everything,” James said. ‘It was great.’
James is averaging 23 points, 9.1 assists and eight rebounds this season. He also has seven triple-doubles, second in the NBA behind Denver’s Nikola Jokic.
The Lakers now rank 10th in the West at 14-12.