Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James says leg 'sore' after scary collision

LeBron suffered a similar injury last season where Atlanta Hawks forward Solomon Hill dove for a loose ball and rolled up his leg.

LeBron James in a file photo, (Image credit: Twitter)
By Amruth Kalidas | Oct 25, 2021 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

After two straight losses to start the season, the Los Angeles Lakers finally got their first win on Sunday, holding on down the stretch to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 121-118. The night could have gone much differently, however, as LeBron James narrowly avoided a serious injury in the second quarter. 

LEBRON FEARED THE WORSE AFTER SIMILAR INJURY LAST SEASON

In the middle of the frame, Desmond Bane went to the rim and Dwight Howard came over to try and block the shot. He made contact with Bane, who lost his balance and fell to the ground, crashing into LeBron’s leg in the process. The Lakers star immediately crumpled to the ground, and a groan went out around Staples Center. 

“The first thing I was thinking to myself was, ‘Not again,'” LeBron said. “Because obviously it was almost similar but not the same kind of play. Guy falls into my leg and there’s nothing you can do about it and I couldn’t get my leg out of there in time.”

LeBron was referencing the play last season where Atlanta Hawks forward Solomon Hill dove for a loose ball and rolled up his leg. That play resulted in a high ankle sprain that kept LeBron out for 26 games at the end of the regular season, and left him less than 100 percent for the Lakers’ first-round playoff loss to the Phoenix Suns.

This time around, it thankfully wasn’t as bad. For one, LeBron was able to stay in and play the rest of the game, finishing with 40 minutes. 

“Just wanted to take a moment on the floor, just hopefully it wasn’t getting worse,” James said. “Had an opportunity just to tie my shoe again and see if I’m able to go, I was able to continue to go.”

Though he admitted after the game that his leg was still “sore,” he’s planning to receive “around the clock” treatment, which he hopes will mean he’s ready to play in the Lakers’ next game against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. 

Whether he’s in the lineup for that game remains to be seen, but the good news for the Lakers is that even if he does end up missing a game or two, this doesn’t seem like it will be any sort of serious, long-term problem.





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