Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has been out of the lineup since Feb. 26 with a tendon injury in his right foot, and although the team is “turning over every stone” to get him back in the lineup, ESPN's Brian Windhorst believes that is still a long way off.
The next official update is set to come from the Lakers next week, but Windhorst said it is not expected to be one that gives LA fans hope about the imminency of his return to the court.
LeBron James not close, per Windhorst
“LeBron is not close to returning from what I'm told,” Windhorst said on his podcast on Friday. “I know everybody said the three weeks, but I think it was very clear three weeks is when he will get an official reevaluation. It didn't mean he was coming back in three weeks.”
The exact three week date would be this Sunday, Mar. 19, and as LeBron has not returned to the court, it seems safe to say that he's still a few weeks out at least.
“From what I've heard on LeBron, he is not close,” Windhorst continued. “That's what I've been told. He's not close.”
Conflicting reports on LeBron's return
The ESPN sportswriter also doesn't think the injury is one that LeBron James could potentially play through down the stretch. There has been significant speculation regarding LeBron's return and the amount of pain he's felt in his right foot, and conflicting reports have been popping up near daily.
“It’s sounding like if he does [return], it’s probably going to be the last week or so of the regular season,” The Athletic’s Jovan Buha told HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto this week. “You hear conflicting things. This has been one of the tougher things to dig on. The Lakers have played this very close to the vest. There hasn’t been much out there on it.”
The Lakers have gone 5-4 since LeBron James went down, and currently sit just two games back of the Golden State Warriors for the No. 6 seed and last guaranteed playoff spot in the NBA's crowded Western Conference.
Follow Us
Subscribe