LeBron James Injury Update: All-Star game captain's status for critical game vs Jazz revealed (February 14)

LeBron James Injury Update: All-Star game captain
LeBron James Injury Update: All-Star game captain's status for critical game vs Jazz revealed (February 14)

LeBron James is making the headlines after reportedly rejecting a move to long-time rivals Golden State Warriors. LeBron's injury update also happens to be one of the key talking points, with the LA Lakers playing later on Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz.

The Lakers are playing on the second night of a back-to-back. They beat the Detroit Pistons 125-111 in their last home game before the NBA All-Star break on Tuesday night. LeBron played 30 minutes, tallying 25 points and eight assists on 9 of 15 shooting.


LeBron James injury update: Lakers star announces status of his availability vs. Jazz

LeBron James will not play against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. The Lakers star disclosed his status after Tuesday's game against the Pistons. With LeBron set to play his 20th All-Star game on Sunday in Indiana, the four-time MVP seems to have planned his schedule accordingly.

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By avoiding the travel to Utah, LeBron will likely get some rest before Sunday's showdown where he'll don the captain's hat for the Western Conference All-Star team.


What happened to LeBron James?

LeBron has been dealing with a nagging ankle issue since January. He's been on the injury report, citing left ankle peroneal tendinopathy, an injury that transpires due to excessive workload. The pain eases up only with the help of rest. LeBron hasn't had much of it, having missed only six games this season, with Wednesday being his seventh.

The Lakers needed him to be on the floor amid their inconsistent start as they hover around the .500 mark. However, LA seems to be in a better position now. It is three games above .500 (29-26) for the first time since late December.

Darvin Ham's rotations and adjustments have improved, while D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and the rest of the supporting cast have found consistency. The Lakers have gone 3-3 without LeBron, including a massive win on the road over the league-leading Boston Celtics, who were at full strength. The Lakers also missed Anthony Davis in that game.

Davis will likely play, so the Lakers' chances of winning one more game without LeBron look good.


All-Star break couldn't have come at a better time for LeBron James amid ankle injury

The Lakers' initial plan for LeBron James was to limit his minutes early in the season. However, that plan went down the drain after opening night. The Lakers' belief that they had the depth to exercise the leeway of monitoring LeBron's minutes was quashed by the reigning NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets.

Despite retaining most of their core, the Lakers seemingly had chemistry issues. D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves weren't as consistent, while Jarred Vanderbilt's absence hindered the Lakers' chances of getting off to a good start.

That led to LeBron James averaging 34.9 minutes per game. With the Lakers struggling, LeBron hasn't had much rest, but the All-Star break could be crucial for him to recover and get regular treatment, allowing him to inch closer to 100% once the season resumes.

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Edited by Arhaan Raje
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