Is LeBron James Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Lakers vs. Spurs)

The latest injury update for Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James on Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

UPDATE: LeBron James is officially questionable for Wednesday's game against the Spurs.

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Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James may be 41 years old, but he's shown no signs of slowing down as of late.

On Tuesday night, James dropped 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a Lakers' win over the New Orleans Pelicans, recording his second 30-point game this month. Now, the Lakers have a quick turnaround on Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs, and James' status is unclear since the team has yet to release an injury report.

However, after Tuesday night's win, the four-time NBA champion admitted that he's up in the air for this matchup. James missed the start of the season with sciatica, and he has not played in both ends of a back-to-back since returning to the lineup.

LeBron James on his status for Wednesday’s game:

"Every back-to-back for the rest of the season is TBD. I am 41. I got the most minutes in NBA history. Bank it right now."

(via @mcten)pic.twitter.com/8D9DMq0nwI

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) January 7, 2026

James played over 33 minutes in Tuesday night's win, which may make it tough for him to play again on Wednesday. The Lakers are just one game back of the Spurs in the Western Conference standings, but they need James healthy for the long haul, especially since guard Austin Reaves (calf) is out of the lineup.

The latest betting odds for this matchup seem to suggest that James will sit out. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Lakers set as 7.5-point underdogs against the Spurs. San Antonio could have Victor Wembanyama (knee) in the lineup after he returned to action on Tuesday against Memphis.

This season, James is averaging 21.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game while shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from beyond the arc. After he lost his 10-point streak in a game against the Toronto Raptors in early December, James has found another level, averaging 25.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists per night while shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from 3.

Those numbers come over a 12-game stretch where James has not sat out once. So, it'll be interesting to see if he is able to push himself to play once again on Wednesday.

For now, fans and bettors should consider the 21-time All-Star as highly questionable for Wednesday night's matchup. If James does suit up, it should shift the spread a bit in favor of the Lakers on Jan. 7.

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