Lakers' LeBron James Could be Dealing With Significant Injury Ahead of Playoffs

The Los Angeles Lakers might have to manage a significant injury with one of their best players.

Apr 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) passes against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers are approaching this playoffs as one that they can make a deep run in. They believe that the roster they have put together is good enough to win it all.

That feeling stems from the trade to acquire Luka Doncic a couple of weeks before the trade deadline. Pairing him with LeBron James makes this Lakers team extremely dangerous offensively.

Of course, James is 40 years old. Relying on him to carry a significant load on the offense might not be the best idea for the Lakers, but it's what they have to do.

Read more: Dallas GM Offers Brutal Honestly on Why Luka Doncic Was Traded to Lakers

As the Lakers prepare to take on the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs this weekend, James could be dealing with an injury that could turn out to be significant.

James was spotted at practice wearing a sleeve on his left leg. He left his final game of the regular season with some discomfort in his left hip and his groin.

A glimpse of Lakers practice. LeBron James is wearing a sleeve on his left leg. He exited his last game of the regular season last week because of discomfort in his left hip and groin. pic.twitter.com/oHGWI9KGRR

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 16, 2025

James has been nursing a groin injury in the second half of the season. It's an injury that cost him a couple of weeks after the All-Star break.

If this injury crept up again, that could be some bad news for the Lakers. They need him to be as healthy as possible in order for Los Angeles to make their way through a very competitive Western Conference.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, they do not get an easy first-round matchup like some other playoff teams do. The Wolves are certainly good enough to make a big run in the playoffs.

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If James isn't 100 percent heading into this series, Austin Reaves is going to need to step up. He has shown the ability to really carry the load on offense when either James or Doncic are out of the lineup.

James is certainly going to play through this injury. He hasn't mentioned that it will keep him from playing in any games at the moment.

Still, this is something that Lakers fans should monitor as they head into the playoffs.

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