For the first time in over 20 seasons, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was absent from the NBA’s All-Star Game on Sunday night.
The four-time league MVP is dealing with discomfort in his left foot and left ankle, leading to him sitting out Sunday’s festivities for precautionary reasons.
“I was hoping it would feel a lot better this morning, but it was not where I wanted it to be,” James said of his ankle on Sunday.
While James missing the All-Star Game doesn’t impact the Lakers’ season, there could be some concern for the 40-year-old moving forward if he isn’t able to shake this ankle/foot injury. The Lakers, who currently hold the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, have a quick turnaround out of the All-Star break.
Los Angeles will host the Charlotte Hornets in a standalone game on Wednesday, the first matchup out of the break. That game is a make up of the game missed earlier this season due to the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
The opening odds for Wednesday’s game suggest that James will play, as the Lakers are set as massive 13-point favorites. That’s also a good sign for Luka Doncic (calf) and his availability, as the Lakers likely wouldn’t be favored by as much if oddsmakers expected one of the stars to sit out.
Hornets vs. Lakers Odds, Spread and Total
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Spread
- Hornets +13 (-110)
- Lakers -13 (-110)
Moneyline
- Hornets: +550
- Lakers: -800
Total
- 223.5 (Over -108/Under -112)
When is LeBron James Coming Back?
On Sunday, James said that he was “hopeful” that he’d be able to suit up for the Lakers on Wednesday.
Los Angeles has a tough schedule out of the All-Star break, as it plays two back-to-backs in 10 days. Los Angeles will play Wednesday and Thursday this week and has a Thursday-Friday back-to-back next week. It also has matchups with the Denver Nuggets (Saturday) and Dallas Mavericks (Tuesday) in between those back-to-back stretches.
The Lakers certainly need James healthy for the stretch run if they want to make the playoffs without going through the play-in tournament. At the All-Star break, the Lakers have a three-game cushion on the No. 7-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
Oddsmakers have been high on the Lakers since they traded for Doncic, setting them at +1800 to win the NBA Finals (the sixth-best odds in the league) and -1600 to make the playoffs (an implied probability of 94.12%).
Hopefully, James will be able to shake this ankle/foot injury with the extra time off from the All-Star festivities.
