The Los Angeles Lakers are fortunate that they are going to be home for much of the next few weeks because LeBron James has an injury that likely needs more rest and more treatment, one that got in last night’s Christmas Day loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
James told reporters following last night’s loss that an issue with his right groin was aggravated when he caught a knee to the groin from Clippers guard Patrick Beverley, which could keep him out for some games, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. James sat out in Sunday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets.
“I felt healthy going into the game,” James said after finishing with 23 points on 9-for-24 shooting, with 10 assists and 9 rebounds. “I got kneed in the groin taking a charge from Pat Bev, and it kind of set me right back to where I was five days ago.”
James had experienced great health for much of the season as Sunday was the first game of the season that he missed. But after playing 12 out of 15 games to start the month of December, perhaps it’s not shocking that the grind of the season has worn James down some. Only four days before his 35th birthday, it’s beginning to look like James needs to spend time healing before getting back out on the basketball court.
Luckily for the Lakers and James, his groin injury is not the same side of the one that derailed their season last Christmas. But given the memory of that injury is still fresh in everyone’s mind, taking some time to recoup would be the smartest approach for James. They only have one road game, this Saturday, Dec. 28 against the Portland Trail Blazers, between now and Jan. 7.
.jpg?w=600)
