Is LeBron James playing tonight against the Orlando Magic? Latest on the 4x NBA champion's availability (Mar. 24)

LeBron James is available to suit up for the LA Lakers when they take on the Orlando Magic at the Kia Center on Monday. The 4x NBA champion's availability comes as a major boost for the Purple and Gold as they look to arrest the two-game skid and maintain a healthy seeding position as the regular season comes to a close.

Earlier, James was listed as probable with his left groin injury ahead of the four-game road trip. He missed the Lakers last road-game stretch in which the side lost all four contests. LA was thoroughly outplayed by the Chicago Bulls earlier last week despite the 40-year-old suiting up. Now, they will hope that James shakes off the rust from his injury break and helps LA bounce back to winning ways.

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LeBron James offers a key update on his recovery ahead of Magic skirmish

Speaking to reporters after the LA Lakers' ugly 146-115 loss to the Bulls, LeBron James provided a key update on his recovery and availability ahead of the team's away fixtures starting with Orlando on Monday. Per The Athletic's Jovan Buha:

“I just take it day by day. I can’t worry about what can happen in the future, but, I got through today. I’m obviously, get some work on it tomorrow, hopefully a little bit on the plane. It’s a long flight to Orlando. And then once we get to Orlando and get ready for Monday.”

Upon his return to the fold, the NBA's leading all-time scorer notched up 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. While he looked at ease on the floor, the rust still showed as LA's torrid efforts on the defensive end cost them the game against a resurgent Bulls outfit.

The Lakers have a dozen games left in the regular season and winning a major chunk of them sees them cement themselves for a top-four spot. They will need LeBron James at full capacity to get past the rest of the season with as many wins as possible.