LeBron James Says He Won’t Return for Lakers Until He Has ‘Grown Man’ Lungs

Karl Rasmussen | Nov 17, 2025

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is nearing his return after missing the first 14 games of the NBA season. / David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Lakers fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of LeBron James, who has yet to make his 2025-26 season debut while dealing with sciatica.

Last week, James was assigned to the G-League to participate in 5-on-5 practice with the South Bay Lakers as he continues to ramp up ahead of his return to game action. On Monday, he returned to practice with Los Angeles, another key step in his rehabilitation process.

When asked by reporters what is still needed before he’s able to suit up for the Lakers, James indicated his conditioning isn’t where it needs to be. Or as he put it, he’s still waiting on his lungs to resemble that of a “grown man.”

“Obviously, my lungs feel like a newborn baby. That’s the most important thing. I’ve gotta get my lungs back up to a grown man,” James said, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

It seems those newborn lungs are quickly developing into grown man lungs, as later Monday evening, James was upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Jazz. That means there’s a chance he could take the floor for his season debut as early as that game. If he’s still unable to go on Tuesday, his next chance to play will be Sunday, Nov. 23 on the road in Utah––the second leg of L.A.’s home-and-home series against the Jazz.

---

More NBA on Sports Illustrated

feed