The Los Angeles Lakers lost Saturday night to the longtime rival Boston Celtics, but that’s suddenly the least of their concerns.
All eyes are now on the health of LeBron James.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer was shown on ABC’s broadcast heading to the locker room with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter and he was ruled out with a groin strain. The Lakers lost the contest 111-101. James finished the night with 22 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in 35 minutes.
He said the injury occurred on the play where he scored his final basket of the night with 7:05 to go.
James has dealt with plenty of injuries since he signed with the Lakers in 2018, but groin strains have been a persistent issue during his time in Los Angeles. He suffered a left groin strain on Christmas Day 2018 in a win over the Golden State Warriors that ended up derailing Los Angeles’ season. He missed 17 straight games − then a career-high − and Los Angeles went 5-12 without him as its playoff hopes evaporated. He didn’t play the final six games of that season.
Left ankle and foot injuries have plagued James in recent years, but he’s been relatively healthy this season, missing only four contests heading into Saturday.
LeBron James groin injury: What we know
The NBA play-in games start on April 15 and the first round of the playoffs is slated to begin on April 19.
James said after the game he didn’t have ‘much concern’ about the injury and considered himself ‘day-to-day.’
James said he immediately thought of that 2018 injury.
‘I’ve been there before and I know what type of injury you’re dealing with,’ James said.
But he added this injury is ‘not as bad as that’ one that kept him out for 17 straight games.
The Lakers (40-22) have been rolling since mid-January and are now 12-3 since acquiring Luka Doncic after falling Saturday. They are currently the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, a half-game behind the Denver Nuggets and 1½ games ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies.
This story has been updated with new information.