LeBron James is slated to miss his 11th straight contest against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday after suffering a groin injury on Christmas Day against the Golden State Warriors. The Los Angeles Lakers knew this would be unchartered waters for James and quickly came to a three-week timetable after examination, an absence head coach Luke Walton had to prepare to take.
“They told us three weeks was the best-case scenario,” James’ agent, Rich Paul, told Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “And then after three weeks, if he’s able to play, he’ll play.”
Tuesday marks three weeks since the Lakers gave that timeline, yet somehow they told the media he was “day-to-day” — with James soon tweeting he had “dodged a bullet.”
Yet 11 games mark the most consecutive absences of his career, having no more than eight straight during his 15-plus years in the league.
“I’m handling it as well as I can,” James said on Sunday.
“Mentally, he’s getting there. If there’s one guy you don’t want to get hurt, it’s him, because he always wants to play,” said a member of James’ inner circle.
Walton knows the type of competitor James is and won't say he's down on himself, rather than anxiously awaiting his chance to return.
“I wouldn’t say ‘depressed,’ just that he’s eager to get back,” said Walton.
The Lakers have now gone from fourth place after a rousing win over the Warriors on Christmas to slipping out of the playoff picture, now a half-game behind the Utah Jazz for the eighth seed.
Los Angeles has gone 3-7 during James' 10-game absence and could slip down even further if he's not cleared to return on Wednesday once his re-evaluation is due.
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