Lakers' LeBron James Makes Surprise Admission About Sciatica Injury

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Sciatica is something that impacts millions of people around the world on a daily basis.

The pressure on one's nerves, particularly in the legs and the lower back, can be excruciatingly painful to the point where walking is nearly impossible. Even when lying down, the slightest movement one way or another can send shooting pains down one's legs to the point of severe physical anguish.

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For an athlete of LeBron James' caliber to endure sciatica — causing him to miss the first 14 games of the regular season — it speaks to how severe the issue truly can be.

LeBron James says this is not the first time he’s dealt with sciatica. He also had it during the offseason two years ago. “If you ain’t never had it … I pray you never get it” pic.twitter.com/NtBOWUljnv

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 17, 2025

A seemingly slimmed-down James met with gathered media on Monday to talk about how impactful the injury has been. James revealed that he's been dealing with sciatica dating back multiple years.

"You ever had it? Anybody ever had it? I've had it. I had it two years ago. If you've had it, you know what the hell it's about. If you ain't never had it, and people making jokes about it, I pray you never get it. It's not fun. "

When asked if James had it during the season, he admitted that the sciatica issues occurred during the offseason.

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Sciatica is something that traditionally is managed by anti-inflammatories, good posture, walking, and rampant stretching. Considering James is a professional athlete with the best of everything to his disposal, if there's anyone who will attack this physical ailment as best as humanly possible, it's James — a guy notorious for being fanatical about his physical well-being.

The Lakers (11-4) are off to a better start than many projected them to be with James on the sidelines. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are combining to score more than 60 points per contest.

James' Return Will Be LA's Gain

Having said that, getting James back into the fold using his brain and transcendent passing ability seemingly will unlock further shot creation for the Reaves-Doncic twosome. We saw that on full display Tuesday night, with James recording a double-double off the bat.

The emphasis on transition basketball perfectly complements James and his style of play. With Reaves seemingly taking the next step in his progression as an All-Star-level talent, James won't have to carry the load as much as he has in recent years.

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