NBA fans will have to wait a little longer to see LeBron James in the preseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers star would not participate in the team’s opening preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
James will play during the weekend, Lakers head coach J.J. Redick said reporters. On Sunday, the Lakers play their second preseason game against the Phoenix Suns. James is starting his eighth NBA season with the Lakers and his 22nd overall. In the 2024 NBA summer, he inked a two-year contract to return to Los Angeles, and the forty-year-old has a lot to look forward to.
Redick is entering his first season as the head coach and had a podcast with James prior to his hiring by the Lakers. Additionally, James is set to play alongside his son, Bronny, and the two will become the first father-son duo in NBA history.
The Lakers are also a competitive team that went 47-35 in 2023-24 before falling in five games to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, a step back after reaching the Western Conference finals during the 2022-23 season.
As James looks to capture another NBA title before calling it a career, maintaining his peak physical condition is important and sitting out a preseason matchup will help with his longevity.
