Is LeBron James Playing vs Hornets? Lakers Reveal Final Injury Report

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The Los Angeles Lakers were not able to see LeBron James participate in this past All-Star Game in San Francisco, marking the first time the NBA's all-time leading scorer sat out the mid-season scrimmage.
He noted lingering discomfort in his left foot and ankle per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, and that is the reason he is once again on the injury report ahead of tonight's matchup against the Charlotte Hornets.
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This game is a result of a Jan. 9 contest rescheduled because of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area at the time. L.A. and Charlotte are the first teams returning from All-Star festivities, as most of the league resumes play Thursday.
It is also worth noting that there may be some awkwardness between the two franchises.
After a seismic trade deadline that say the Lakers swap superstars with the Dallas Mavericks, acquiring Luka Doncic and sending Anthony Davis to Texas, among other pieces, Los Angeles tried to make an additional move.
They had to agreed to terms with Charlotte to send rookie Dalton Knecht and some first-round picks in exchange for 23-year-old center Mark Williams.
Williams was not only the seven-footer L.A. needed down low defensively, but was also a kind of player that would perfectly compliment Doncic and their offense for years to come.
Williams failed his physical and showed health issues that caused the Lakers to rescind the trade citing "failure to satisfy a condition of the trade." Per NBA insider Marc Stein.
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James, who was listed as questionable, has been upgraded to available and will play tonight for the Lakers.
LeBron James has been upgraded to available for tonight’s game against Charlotte.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) February 20, 2025
The Lakers have won 10 of their last 12 contests, including six wins in a row before a road loss to the Utah Jazz in the final game before the All-Star break. Their newest superstar in Doncic looks to play for the first time Wednesday without a minutes restriction.
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For more Lakers news, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles. His focus is sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at DodgersNation and Newsweek. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and is a Masters Candidate at the University of Southern California. You can get in touch with Gabe by emailing gabe.smallson@lasportsreport.com. You can find him on X @gabesmallson
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