LeBron James rejoined the Los Angeles Lakers for practice on Monday, with the basketball superstar now awaiting his body's response before making a decision on his potential season debut on Tuesday.
Should James take to the court, he will etch his name into NBA history as the first player ever to compete across 23 seasons.
The Lakers are set to host the Utah Jazz on Tuesday evening, with their next fixture not scheduled until Sunday.
"Just trying to get back to where I feel like myself again," James stated. He added, "Got to see how the body responds over the next 24 hours-plus."
The 40-year-old had been absent from Lakers workouts since late September, when he developed sciatica prior to the commencement of training camp, leading him to miss a season opener for the first time in his illustrious career.
The NBA's all-time leading scorer has now reunited with the Lakers following their five-game road trip, though James conceded that he still requires further work to regain full game fitness.
"My lungs feel like a newborn baby," James remarked. "That’s the most important thing: I’ve got to get my lungs back up to a grown man. My voice is already gone (from) one day back barking out calls and assignments and stuff. Got to get my voice working again. Be a lot of tea and rest tonight. Feels good to be out here with the guys. Missed them."
James disclosed that he first experienced sciatica – a condition characterised by pain in the nerves extending from the buttocks down the back of the legs – during the offseason two years prior.
Furthermore, a ligament sprain in his knee sustained during the Lakers' first-round playoff defeat to Minnesota last spring had delayed his offseason training by approximately two months.
"Not too long after that (in mid-June), I started to feel the (pain) in my hip and my back, things of that nature," James explained.
"So everything kind of changed. My whole dynamic changed of how I was going to prepare for the season, but it's all a blessing in disguise."
When questioned about being entirely pain-free, James candidly replied: "I wouldn't go that far."
"If you've ever had (sciatica), you wake up one day and you hope that when you step down out of the bed, you don't feel it," James elaborated.
"You go to bed at night, you hope when you get in the bed, you don't feel it. I've been doing pretty good with it as of late. There's a lot of exercise and a lot of mobility things that you can do to help it, so I'm just keeping a positive mindset."
Last week, James participated in practice with the G League's South Bay Lakers, progressively increasing his on-court activity with his first five-on-five session since the previous spring. His reintegration with the main squad on Monday was met with approval by coach JJ Redick.
"It was great to have him with the group for the first time," Redick commented. "This is the first time we've had all 14 guys available for a practice, so that's exciting."
Despite contending with notable injury issues, the Lakers have commenced the season with an impressive 10-4 record. Los Angeles currently occupies fourth position in the Western Conference standings ahead of Monday's fixtures.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have maintained their prolific scoring despite periods of absence due to injuries, while new centre Deandre Ayton has emerged as a standout performer.
"I missed these guys," James confessed with a grin. "Just seeing them going out to work, I love working and I love the process. I don't miss the travel. I'm about to be 41 years old. I was happy at home on my couch after working out. I don't miss the travel, but I definitely miss the competition and miss these guys."
Both James and Redick express no concerns regarding the veteran's capacity to seamlessly integrate into the Lakers' lineup, regardless of his assigned role.
James has already voiced his enthusiasm for developing a two-man game with Ayton and facilitating scoring opportunities for Doncic.
"I've got to work my way back into the fold of things," James concluded. "It's kind of like a kid going to a new school.
“They've got some great chemistry, so I'm just going to feel my way back in and do it organically. It shouldn't be hard, but it's going to be a feeling-out process."
