Lakers News: LeBron James Opens Up About Nagging Ankle Injury

The Los Angeles Lakers season has been full of ups and downs, with the team currently playing some of their best basketball of the year. Los Angeles is riding a five-game winning streak entering Friday, with the hope of keeping the winning ways alive down the stretch.

The team is fighting for their playoff lives right now, so every game is crucial at this point. They currently sit in 9th place within the Western Conference standings but are only a few games back from potentially moving up in terms of seeding.

However, nagging injuries to their star players could weigh them down as the year comes to a close. Both Anthony Davis and LeBron James have missed games this week, with James having been dealing with an ankle issue for a while now.

The superstar opened up about the injury, saying he is doing his best to manage things down the stretch.

“Just be very strategic on what, obviously, games and how many days in between games and flights and things of that nature,” he said. “Obviously, understanding and seeing how my ankle and my foot is feeling. But just being very smart about it, obviously. We are where we are, but our health has always been the most important for our ballclub.”

If James isn't healthy, the Lakers won't have any chance to reach their goal of winning a championship. At this point, James is on a game-to-game basis in terms of playing, depending on how his ankle feels each day.

Los Angeles would rather have James healthy for any postseason games, no matter where they land in the seeding. They feel like they can take down any team in the league, so they don't ultimately care who or when they face off, just as long as they get into the playoffs.

“I gotta be smart with it,” James said. “If I’m not healthy, or … close to being healthy, then it’s not good for our ball club anyway. It’s not good for me.”

If the Lakers can continue their hot play over the final weeks of the season, it could pay off well for them. Even with their stars in and out of the lineup, the team has still looked competitive. The hope is for another deep playoff run, but health will dictate just how far they can go.