Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has been “severely struggling” with a foot injury, NBA insider Chris Haynes reports on the #thisleague UNCUT podcast:

“I was told LeBron was severely struggling with that foot injury. Yes, it’s something that’s been nagging him for a few weeks already. But it gets to a point where it just gets unbearable. And he plays through it.”

Haynes continues, saying that “the way it was explained to me is that sometimes it flares up, the different sides of his foot, depending on I guess the way that he plants it certain times.”

“But the way it was explained to me,” he concludes, “is that that might be something that lingers all season long.”

It can't be said enough that at 38-years-old, James has been playing at an MVP-level.

However, while James has been able to stand the test of time, he hasn't exactly been able to escape Father Time altogether. His lack of defensive effort, or desire to expend excess energy on that end, is directly tied to his aging. His acceleration, though better than most players, has declined dramatically.

Lastly, once one of the most durable players in the NBA, James has dealt with multiple nagging injuries over the past few years. The numbers behind just how many games James has missed since joining L.A. are frankly staggering. The majesty of King James is clearly still subject to some of the rules of human mortality.

But if LeBron wants to win a championship this season, he has to continue to soldier through the pain. The Lakers' only hope of winning a championship this season is him staying healthy.