LeBron's Injury Hurts in More Ways Than One: Unchecked

LeBron's absence due to injury will show his value once again.

It may seem like LeBron James is going to do this forever, but he won’t. And that’s why any time missed in what is left of his prime cannot be dismissed as a small thing.

Nothing angers and saddens me more than not being available to and for my teammates! I’m hurt inside and out right now. 🤦🏾‍♂️. The road back from recovery begins now. Back soon like I never left. #ThekidfromAKRON🤴🏾

— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 21, 2021

There’s a reason we all made such a big deal about what he was doing at age 36, in year 18...because it’s not supposed to happen. To that point, it won’t surprise me in the slightest if he recovers from his high ankle sprain faster than anyone could imagine.

Kyle Kuzma on LeBron’s injury: “I haven’t seen him scream and scowl like that probably ever.”

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) March 20, 2021

But even though he was able to momentarily return to the game, both by the way he went down and then ultimately left the floor, you could tell he knew he was hurt—and now someone who once seemed invincible has suffered his two most significant injuries in the last several seasons. While we all assume he’ll be back in a few weeks and ready for the playoff run, assuming the Lakers don’t fall too far and have to play their way in, that doesn’t mean games missed are meaningless.

seeing LeBron injured doesn’t feel real pic.twitter.com/BSTa05KQ7n

— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) March 22, 2021

LeBron’s value is about to be on display yet again, but not in a way that would help him win what I think would have been an important MVP award, one we already know meant something to him. Not to mention it keeps Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record further away. James is playing not only for the moment but for history, and of course, whatever he does from here on out is only icing on his GOAT case.

Is LeBron James’s injury a big deal? For now, yes.

Ask again in July, says @SIChrisMannix: https://t.co/Hflsxs0Dfp pic.twitter.com/Qy9MTlYGmI

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 22, 2021

I won’t doubt LeBron coming back 100% and with a vengeance that will make his absence feel irrelevant in retrospect, but it will be felt by his team and the NBA in the meantime.

I miss LeBron.

— Matthew Peralta (@_MatthewPeralta) March 22, 2021

Because as they say, and we’ll eventually say about James one day in the future, you don’t know what you got 'til it’s gone.