LOS ANGELES _ LeBron James walked through the tunnel at Staples Center to a huge ovation Friday night. He was back in the building. The fans were happy to see him.
And, again, he wasn't in uniform.
James' day-to-day status got a little more clarity earlier in the day, with the Los Angeles Lakers announcing that he'd miss at least the next week while he recovers from a strained groin. He will not travel with the team for its next two games, Sunday in Minnesota and Monday in Dallas.
He will be re-evaluated next Friday, meaning he'll miss Wednesday's game against Detroit and almost certainly next Friday's game in Utah.
"We got to get him healthy," coach Luke Walton said at shootaround. "We talk all year. We need everyone on our team. You don't want anyone to ever get hurt, but that's how the NBA season plays out. We're down in bodies, and it's going to be a challenge, but our guys should be excited for that. We got to find a way to keep playing at a high level and try to finish some of these games out."
James hasn't played since injuring his groin in the second half of the Lakers' win at Golden State on Christmas night. Entering Friday's game with the New York Knicks, the Lakers had lost three of the four games James had missed.
Knicks coach David Fizdale, who was an assistant coach in Miami when James played for the Heat, joked that he was just fine with him missing the game.
"He is a beast. Last year was, to play 82 (regular-season games), to play in I think two seven-game (playoff) series where he played 48 minutes in the seventh game. I mean it's a testament to his work ethic, to his commitment to the game," Fizdale said. "But even a guy like that needs a few days off sometimes. I'm not moaning and groaning."
