LeBron James Injury Status Lakers vs Hornets

The Lakers superstar decided not to play in the All-Star Game because of his injury.

Feb 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dunks for the basket against the against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers come out of the All-Star break a very confident team. Prior to the break, they had won 10 of 12 games. They also only had Luka Doncic for two of those games.

Now, they get to add a top-three player in the NBA and remove any minutes restrictions from him. He is someone who can help them win a lot more games in the second half of the season.

He's also someone who can help the team with some injury insurance against other players getting hurt. That's especially true with LeBron James, their 40-year-old superstar.

Read more: Where Do Lakers Stand in Western Conference Following All-Star Break?

James was the only player on the Lakers who was in San Francisco for All-Star weekend. He decided at the last second that he wasn't going to play in the All-Star Game due to his ankle injury.

This is the same injury that James has been dealing with all year. He has been listed probably on the injury report for most of the season because of that injury.

After sitting out the All-Star Game, he has been downgraded ahead of the Lakers' matchup with the Hornets on Wednesday night.

JJ Redick says LeBron James is questionable for tomorrow vs. Charlotte.

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) February 19, 2025

James is listed as questionable for this game. There is some concern that he might take some time off to rest his ankle now that the Lakers have Doncic.

Doncic would be able to run the show while James is sidelined if that does end up happening. Of course, health is the biggest issue the Lakers will face for the rest of the season.

More Lakers news: Lakers Upgrade Injury Status for Three Key Players Ahead of Hornets Matchup

The Lakers consider themselves a contenders to win the title this year now that they have Doncic. Still, they have to be healthy in order to make a deep run in the playoffs.

That means that James needs to get his ankle problems under control. It also means that Doncic needs to be able to stay healthy, which has been a bit of a problem for him in his career.

So far this season, James is averaging 24.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and nine assists per game.

More Los Angeles Lakers news: Lakers to Remove Minutes Restrictions for Luka Doncic This Week

Did Landing Luka Doncic Guarantee Rob Pelinka Long-Term Job Security With Lakers?

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.