Is LeBron James playing tonight against the Atlanta Hawks? | January 6th, 2023 | 2022-23 NBA Season

LeBron James was forced to put his recent surge on hold as a result of an illness that kept him sidelined for the Lakers' recent game against the Miami Heat. After ending 2022 with a massive 47-point performance against the Atlanta Hawks, he continued the momentum with a 43-point outing against the Charlotte Hornets.

His recent surge put him closer to breaking the all-time scoring record set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, however a non-COVID-related illness stopped his momentum. After being questionable for the LA Lakers game against the Miami Heat with an ankle injury, he was then downgraded as a result of an illness.

In his absence, the team managed to pick up a win, edging out the Heat by three points behind Dennis Schroder's 32. Ahead of the team's showdown with the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, many are wondering about James' status.

According to reports, LeBron James will be available tonight for LA Lakers after which citing an ankle injury.

With the team currently on a three-game win streak, with LeBron James potentially back, they will now set their sights on picking up another win over the Atlanta Hawks. Below, you can see highlights from James' impressive outing the last time the two teams squared off.

LeBron James and the Lakers, looking ahead at the rest of the month

LeBron James and the LA Lakers have been trying to fight their way back from one of the worst records in the Western Conference. With Anthony Davis forced to sit and watch from the sidelines, the team has managed to put themselves within three games of a 10th-place spot in the standings.

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LeBron James (LA Lakers vs. Washington Wizards)

Although the team would miss both the NBA Playoffs and the play-in tournament if the season were to end today, they have plenty of time to turn things around. With that said, according to Tankathon, the team has the sixth toughest remaining schedule in the league.

After facing the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, they'll go right into a back-to-back with the Sacramento Kings, who sit in fifth place in the West. After that, it's a showdown with the first-place Denver Nuggets on the 9th, before a showdown with the fourth-place Dallas Mavericks on the 12th.

In the second half of the month, things only get tougher for the Lakers as they square off against the Memphis Grizzlies, Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets. Anthony Davis still has no timetable for his return, forcing the team to potentially look to DeMarcus Cousins.

According to a report released Friday, the team is planning to work Cousins out with the possibility of a 10-day contract.

Stay tuned for updates as they become available.