"We don't give a damn about him" - Stephen A. Smith justifies LeBron James skipping Lakers games for personal reason

After vowing to play in all 82 games at the start of the season, LeBron James was absent from the LA Lakers briefly for personal reasons. Amid his return, one analyst stated that the whole situation was blown out of proportion.

While on First Take, Stephen A. Smith touched on LeBron missing two games during his absence. He feels nothing about the situation was newsworthy and that at this stage of his career, the 20-time All-Star has earned some time off.

"This is the biggest non-story," Stephen A said. "God forbid he took time off. It's such a big deal."

"He's earned it, you want to take a week off so what," he continued. "LeBron James can get as much time off as he wants during the regular season. Because at this point in time, we don't give a damn about him."

In the time that he was away, the Lakers managed to go 1-1 without LeBron. They took care of business against the Portland Trail Blazers but suffered a double-digit loss at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

As Stephen A. stated, LeBron missing some time should not have been as big a story as it was. Seeing that players around the league are constantly on the sidelines, missing a pair of games nearing the age of 40 should be a non-issue.

---

LeBron James fills the stat sheet in his return to the LA Lakers

Following his short time away, LeBron James returned to the Lakers on Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. He logged 34 minutes and did a little bit of everything as LA got back in the win column.

In total, LeBron ended the night with 18 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, one steal and two blocks. The time off seemed to have paid off for him, as the star forward looked to have his legs back under him. Recharged and refreshed, he kicked off his return with an emphatic dunk in the opening minutes.

Despite being in his 22nd season, LeBron James is still one of the NBA's top performers. Through 24 games, he is averaging 22.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists.

Following their win over the Grizzlies, the Lakers move to 14-12 on the season. That is good for 10th place in the Western Conference, but they are right in the thick of things. They trail the fifth-place Denver Nuggets by just half a game.

With the Lakers being in the playoff hunt, they need to operate with the long view in mind. Because of this, LeBron getting occasional rest throughout the regular season is beneficial.