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Lakers

LeBron James is expected to miss the next two games on the schedule, which sees the Lakers take on the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers.
Source: <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31389569/sources-los-angeles-lakers-lebron-james-expected-miss-back-back-games-clippers-blazers-rest-ankle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Wojnarowski also added, "It is possible James could miss more games, sources said, as he works through discomfort in the ankle that kept him out six weeks until a two-game return that saw home losses to&nbsp;Toronto&nbsp;and&nbsp;Sacramento over the weekend." James was absent for L.A.'s most recent contest against the Denver Nuggets, which saw the Lakers snap a three-game skid with a 93-89 win.

James was held out of Monday's contest against the Denver Nuggets.

LeBron James expected to miss games vs. Blazers, Clippers with ankle injury

LeBron James is going to a 10th NBA Finals -- and for the first time in a decade, so are the Los Angeles Lakers. James punctuated his 27th career postseason triple-double with a big fourth quarter, powering the Lakers to a 117-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets to win the Western Conference finals in five games. 
James finished with 38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists to become the fourth player to reach 10 NBA Finals.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.nba.com/article/2020/09/27/closeout-special-lebron-james-leads-lakers-back-nba-finals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA.com</a>
ANALYSIS: LeBron James will look to bring home his fourth NBA title and his first with the Lakers this year as Los Angeles moves to 12-3 in the 2020 postseason. James was monstrous in the Lakers close out win over Denver as he made big shot after big shot down the stretch.&nbsp;
LeBron and the Lakers will wait to see the outcome of the Heat/Celtics series so they can begin to prepare for the NBA Finals.&nbsp;&nbsp;

LeBron James becomes the fourth player in NBA history to reach the finals for a 10th time.

LeBron James reaches 10th NBA finals

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James recently admitted that he's considered leaving the NBA bubble on several occassions.
"I've had numerous nights and days thinking about leaving the bubble," James said, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/BenGolliver/status/1299938985901518848" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Golliver of The Washington Post</a>. "I think everyone has, including you guys (the media). I don't think there's one person that has not had a mind that said, 'Oh, I've got to get the hell out of here.' ... It probably crosses my mind once a day. For sure."&nbsp;
A number of players have opened up about how staying in the bubble has affected their mental health. For example, Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George has been candid about dealing with depression in the bubble.
"I mean, we're all dealing with it," George said, according to <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/clippers/news/paul-george-says-multiple-nba-players-dealing-with-depression-in-bubble?utm_source=reddit.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sports Illustrated</a>. "You know, whether I was the first to say it or not, we're all dealing with it. I've had conversations with guys here, and there's been a couple guys that is like, 'Man, I'm happy I'm not the only one. I've been dealing with this, too.' It's a thing in here. It's a brotherhood. ... We support one another."
It remains to be seen if any players will opt to leave the Orlando campus. James and the Lakers recently advanced to the second round of the playoffs after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers.&nbsp;

LeBron James admitted that the possibility of leaving the NBA bubble crosses his mind "once a day."

LeBron James considers leaving bubble daily

<a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/lebron-james-ejected-after-a-dirty-elbow-that-left-isaiah-stewart-bloody/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The following article first appeared on Basketball Network</a>:
It&rsquo;s never good when a bloody player is chasing someone on the floor. But it&rsquo;s particularly stressful when it&rsquo;s happening on the Detroit Pistons&rsquo; home court. The team with the Malice at the Palace in their DNA doesn't want a repeat of that situation, but it certainly was on everyone's mind after LeBron James elbowed Isaiah Stewart&rsquo;s face and nearly caused a brawl.
While fighting for position to potentially grab a rebound following a free throw, LeBron threw a dirty elbow that connected with Stewart&rsquo;s eye. After gathering himself for a few seconds, Stewart got up and started walking toward James. As the blood began running down his face, Stewart got angrier and angrier. On several occasions, he had to be stopped while trying to storm at Lakers players, primarily James.
James was ejected from the game, and Stewart was escorted to the locker room to get medical attention.
LeBron will undoubtedly get a suspension after an apparent intentional blow to the head of Stewart. Given how the Lakers have looked without LeBron, and the fact they barely hung on to beat the Pistons, every game without James is a blow for the Lakers. Watch the incident below:
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What a surreal scene. Isaiah Stewart not only wanted to take on LeBron James and everyone on the Lakers but he calmly did the &ldquo;it&rsquo;s over, I&rsquo;m done&rdquo; walk off multiple times before sprinting back to get his revenge. The back door attempt at the end is crazy. <a href="https://t.co/5W0wmhtOUZ">pic.twitter.com/5W0wmhtOUZ</a>
&mdash; Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArashMarkazi/status/1462589048669683718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

LeBron James left Isaiah Stewart bloody after dealing an elbow to the face on Sunday.

LeBron James ejected after elbowing Isaiah Stewart

In Game 1 of the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; series against the Portland Trail Blazers, LeBron James had a triple-double (23 points, 17 rebounds and 16 assists) but L.A. ultimately lost. Despite James&rsquo; stat-line, Paul Pierce did his well-rehearsed and almost-perfected Skip Bayless impression to discredit James <a href="https://youtu.be/CD0e9dqBALo">during an appearance</a> on &ldquo;First Take&rdquo; the next day. Pierce looked directly into the camera and proclaimed that if the Lakers don&rsquo;t win the championship this year, James is no longer in the greatest-of-all-time conversation.&nbsp;
Is he talking about LeBron Raymone James Sr. or is he referring to someone else? He can&rsquo;t be discussing the cat who currently ranks third all-time in points behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone, right? The same guy who also ranks eighth all-time in assists and 13th all-time in steals? The one who carried his teams to the playoffs in 13 consecutive seasons with eight straight NBA Finals appearances? That LeBron James?&nbsp;
Surely, he isn&rsquo;t referring to the guy who has three rings, four NBA MVP awards, 16 All-Star selections, three Olympic medals and (by far) <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/vorp_career.html">the highest Value Over Replacement Player rating</a> of anyone who has ever stepped foot on an NBA court...
But wait, there&rsquo;s more.&nbsp;
James is the only player in NBA history to score 30,000 points, grab 9,000 rebounds and have 9,000 assists; AND the only player in NBA history to score at least 25 points per game in 16 consecutive seasons; AND the only player in NBA history to lead the team he played for and the team he played against in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals in a playoff series (which he did in the 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors).&nbsp;
To paraphrase Jay Z, when it&rsquo;s all said and done, &ldquo;Pound for pound, LeBron may be the best to ever come around here. Excludin&rsquo; nobody.&rdquo;
But back to Pierce, who has also said that James isn&rsquo;t in his all-time top-five. When discussing how LeBron's legacy would be impacted if the Lakers fail to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy this year, Pierce's exact words were: &ldquo;If the Lakers don&rsquo;t win a championship, let alone lose in the first round, I don&rsquo;t want to hear none of this GOAT talk no more.&rdquo;&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s important to note that Michael Jordan lost in the first round of the playoffs three times, but that certainly didn&rsquo;t disqualify him from being in the GOAT conversation. (Also, after losing Game 1 to the Blazers, James and the Lakers won the next four games and advanced to the second round.)
Now, for the record, I believe that Kareem is the GOAT and Jordan is No. 2; then, the conversation starts. But to say that James isn&rsquo;t even a part of that conversation is borderline disrespectful.
It was interesting to hear all of the LeBron haters shift their stance from, &ldquo;If LeBron James wins the title this season in the bubble, it should have an asterisk by it,&rdquo; to, &ldquo;If LeBron James doesn&rsquo;t win the championship this season, he should no longer be in the GOAT conversation.&rdquo;&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s almost as if he can&rsquo;t win either way...&nbsp;
But back to Pierce. This isn&rsquo;t the first time he has used his air time to disparage James, which lends credence to the idea that this could be a case of pure, unadulterated LeBron hate. They faced off in the postseason quite a bit, and they nearly fought at a Ohio State preseason game back in 2004, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN/status/1086814205234180097">ESPN&rsquo;s&nbsp;Brian Windhorst</a>.&nbsp;
Mark Jackson, who ranks fourth all-time in assists (just four spots ahead of James), shared his thoughts on Pierce&rsquo;s take and James&rsquo; place in history.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Paul Pierce is a heck of a basketball player, who&rsquo;s had an incredible career, who&rsquo;s a Hall of Famer and whose number is hanging up in the Boston rafters deservedly, but he&rsquo;s wrong,&rdquo; Jackson told me <a href="https://www.fli.tv/mark-jackson-interview">on my show, The Rematch</a>. &ldquo;When you look at LeBron James and his body of work, he is clearly one of the five greatest players of all-time and he is definitely in the discussion for the best to ever do it. When you talk about a guy who will leave the game as the all-time leading scorer (health permitted) and top-five in assists in the history of the game, there is no debate.
&ldquo;He won a championship in Cleveland! You can put that on his resume alone, for those of us who are familiar with the Cleveland Cavs and Cleveland sports&hellip; Give this man his credit!&rdquo;
I couldn&rsquo;t agree more. I respect what Pierce accomplished on the court; there&rsquo;s a reason why Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal gave him the nickname &ldquo;The Truth.&rdquo; Pierce is one of only three players to score 20,000 points with the Celtics. He is Boston royalty, so this isn&rsquo;t personal. I just respectfully disagree with him when it comes to LeBron.
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Not only is James in the GOAT conversation on the court, one could argue that he also deserves consideration as the GOAT off the court too.&nbsp;
In my book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1617755915/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YGrrFbP2GG5AT">&ldquo;We Matter: Athletes And Activism,&rdquo;</a> I had the honor of interviewing pioneers of athlete activism such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, John Carlos, Oscar Robertson, Laila Ali (Muhammad Ali&rsquo;s daughter), Craig Hodges, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and many others.
These athlete-activist legends discussed how, oftentimes, they felt completely alone and didn&rsquo;t receive any support from their fellow players. Hodges and Abdul-Rauf, in particular, were on an island and felt the wrath of then-Commissioner David Stern. In fact, they were whiteballed from the league once the country turned on them, and most of the top players remained silent.&nbsp;
Well, those days are over.
Today's players are inspired by LeBron&rsquo;s voice, as John Wall explained to me in &ldquo;We Matter.&rdquo;
&ldquo;You can go back to the ESPY&rsquo;s when LeBron and D-Wade and &lsquo;Melo and Chris Paul went up there and spoke,&rdquo; Wall told me. &ldquo;They were on that big of a stage talking about police brutality, talking about Black Lives Matter, telling the world that there was something wrong with the system, and then challenging everyone to do something about it. They had a call to action right in front of the entire world. And they organized that themselves... That right there showed the whole world that not only do our top guys - the faces of the league - care, but they want to do something about it.&rdquo;
James didn&rsquo;t birth athlete-activism, but he definitely nurtured and created a safe space for his peers to continue the rich tradition of athlete-activists who came before him. His peers have seen him, the top player in the league, confidently and fearlessly speak about Trayvon Martin in 2012, about Eric Garner in 2014, about police brutality at the ESPYs in 2016 and other issues. They've watched him consistently stand up to the current occupant of the White House over the last four years. Most recently, he's discussed Jacob Blake, who was shot in the back seven times by police in front of his children.&nbsp;
LeBron&rsquo;s words reverberate throughout the league and players realize that they can speak out too. They don&rsquo;t have to be afraid or censor themselves. LeBron has helped usher in a new wave of athlete-activism that we haven&rsquo;t seen since the 1960s.
&ldquo;People are worried about the wrong thing; what LeBron is doing off the court far outweighs what he is doing on the court,&rdquo; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar told me <a href="https://www.fli.tv/kareem-abdul-jabbar">on my show, The Rematch</a>. &ldquo;LeBron is standing on all of our shoulders. He&rsquo;s standing on Jackie Robinson&rsquo;s shoulders. He&rsquo;s standing on Jesse Owens&rsquo; shoulders. He has a conscience and a heart, and he is setting the example for generations to come.&rdquo;

Regardless of what Paul Pierce says, LeBron James is absolutely in the GOAT conversation (on and off the court), writes Etan Thomas.

LeBron James' greatness extends beyond the court

LeBron James said at Media Day that he has been vaccinated for COVID-19.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/1442901793541812232?s=20">Mike Trudell/Lakers</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;After months of questioning whether LeBron James will get vaccinated for COVID-19, he announced he along with the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers have gotten the vaccine.
While James says he will not activeley advocate for others to get the shot, it is still a good sign for the league that their premier player has.
&nbsp;
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LeBron said that at first he was skeptical of the vaccine, but did his research, and decided to get vaccinated, and have his family get vaccinated.
&mdash; Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/1442901793541812232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2021</a></blockquote>

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LeBron James says he's vaccinated for COVID-19.

LeBron James says he's vaccinated for COVID-19

Despite an early postseason exit, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has made no secret of where he would like to spend the rest of his storied career.
"I truly hope that I can finish my career with the Lakers," James recently said on the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lebron-james/id1521578868?i=1000528595488" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smartless podcast </a>(<a href="https://lakersdaily.com/lebron-james-triumphantly-declares-that-he-wants-to-finish-his-nba-career-with-lakers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">h/t Lakers Daily</a>). "However many years that is, if it&rsquo;s four, five, six, whatever, seven, I hope I can continue to play the game."&nbsp;
"I love being in L.A., my family loves being in L.A. Being with a historical franchise like the Lakers is something&hellip; It&rsquo;s like me being in &lsquo;Space Jam&rsquo; &mdash; I never thought it would be possible," <a href="https://lakersdaily.com/lebron-james-triumphantly-declares-that-he-wants-to-finish-his-nba-career-with-lakers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James said</a>.
Now through his third season with the franchise, the 36-year-old James has already added another championship to his resume. And, health permitting, James may just bring a few more trophies back home to the Staples Center if he's true to his word.

LeBron James has made it clear that he would like to spend the rest of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron James wants to finish career with Lakers

Midway through the fourth quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' loss to the depleted Toronto Raptors, LeBron James left the game early. It turns out that the same right ankle that held him out of action for over a month was bothering him.
The following is an excerpt from the Associated Press:
The Los Angeles Lakers were dealt another disappointing loss, this time by the short-handed Toronto Raptors. But seeing LeBron James head to the locker room early served as a reminder it could have been much worse.
James left with 6:42 to play as the Raptors defeated the Lakers 121-114 on Sunday night. Los Angeles coach Frank Vogel said it was a precautionary move to pull James in his second game back after missing 20 because of a sprained right ankle.
James said he would wait to see how his ankle felt before deciding if he could play against Denver on Monday, but acknowledged it has yet to hold up for an entire game.
&ldquo;The first half, it feels really good. Obviously warming up for the game, everything is going well,&rdquo; said James, who had 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists. &ldquo;Last two games at halftime, you know, after the break, it&rsquo;s kind of gotten a little sore on me &mdash; a little tight.
"And obviously Coach decided not to put me back in towards the end because of that, so that&rsquo;s pretty much it.&rdquo;
Despite seeing his team lose for the sixth time in seven games, James was more concerned with making sure the Lakers are at full strength for the playoffs. Although Anthony Davis and James were available, starting guard Dennis Schroder did not play after being placed in the league&rsquo;s health and safety protocols.
&ldquo;I think our team is predicated on health," James said. &ldquo;That is the No. 1 thing for our ballclub. We&rsquo;re a team that we need to be healthy and we need to be full, and if it&rsquo;s not one thing, it&rsquo;s the other. We show up today and our starting point guard is not in the lineup, so it&rsquo;s like another blow for us.&rdquo;

LeBron James left Sunday night's game vs. the Raptors after appearing to re-aggravate his ankle injury.

LeBron James exits game with right ankle injury

LeBron James' illustrious NBA career takes on a new light if you look through the lenses of his teammates.
James has shared the court with a diverse cast of NBA players ever since he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2003. Along the way, his teammates have evolved with the NBA game, from bruising bigs to sharpshooting guards.&nbsp;
Below is a ranking of James' best supporting-cast members. There's plenty of room for debate, but it's also worth noting the unique skill sets of each player who cracked the list. James has shown that he can integrate with all sorts of teammates in his 18-year career; many have also stepped up to aid The King when he needed them.
10. Carlos Boozer (2003-04)
Prior to joining the Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls, Boozer started his career in Cleveland one year before the franchise drafted James. The tough-nosed big man averaged a double-double in his second season, with a cool 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.
The short stint was highlighted by a monster 32-point, 20-rebound performance against the Seattle SuperSonics. Though it was a short-lived pairing with LeBron, Boozer's time with the Cavs hinted at what would become one of the more underrated careers of the past decade-plus.
9. J.R. Smith (2015-2018)
Smith's notoriety stems from one admittedly mind-numbing play in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals. But it overshadows a rock-solid run in Cleveland as a microwave scorer. The former Knick came over via a three-team trade and averaged 10.5 points per game during his three seasons and change next to James.&nbsp;
His 2018 blunder overshadows some impressive playoff performances. His 20-point outburst against the Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals helped the Cavs get on the course to a championship. Smith also shot a ridiculous 50% from three-point land in the 2016-17 postseason.&nbsp;
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8. Ray Allen (2012-14)

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One of the greatest shooters ever finished off his career with two seasons on the LeBron-led Miami Heat. Allen put up 10.3 points per game in a hyper-sixth-man role, and still canned 39.8% of his triples during that stretch.
Of course, the most memorable moment came in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals. Who could forget Mike Breen's call? "Rebound Bosh, back out to Allen, his three-pointer... BANG!" That clutch bucket rivals any shot ever made by a LeBron-James teammate.
7. Mo Williams (2008-10, 2015-16)
The journeyman stopped for two seasons in Cleveland and instantly became the best scorer behind LeBron James. Williams was electric as a 6-foot-1 point guard, averaging 16.9 points while knocking down 43.2% of his three-point attempts. He dropped two games of 40-plus points in a three-week span during winter of 2009. He was named an All-Star in 2008-09, when he averaged 17.8 points, 4.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 43.6% from deep.
Williams would later return to Cleveland and get an elusive championship during the 2015-16 season. He suited up for 41 games at age 33, starting 14 of those contests.
6. Zydrunas Ilgauskas (2003-2011)
"Big Z" was LeBron's greatest teammate in his original campaign with the Cavaliers. Ilgauskas was a rock in the paint, and he averaged 12.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 589 games over an eight-season span. The 7-foot-3 center played in at least 72 regular-season games during six of those years, and while he wasn't a highlight-reel machine, he consistently battled inside.&nbsp;
Ilgauskas earned an All-Star nod in 2005. That season, he led the league in total offensive rebounds (299) and finished sixth in blocked shots (165). When James left for Miami in 2010, Ilgauskas followed him, playing out his final NBA season with the Heat. This makes the Lithuanian one of the longest-tenured teammates in James' career.
5. Kevin Love (2014-2018)
Cleveland's acquisition of Kevin Love marks the second-biggest trade on a LeBron-led squad. By necessity, Love was never quite the player that obliterated defenses in Minnesota. But he still succeeded as a stretch center, and his career during the mid-2010's might actually be a bit underrated.
Love averaged a cool 17.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per game while shooting 37.7% from downtown between 2014 and 2018. He made two All-Star appearances in 2014 and 2017, and towards the end of the run, he really found his footing in Cleveland. Injuries ultimately factored in, as Love played just four postseason games in the 2015 postseason and surpassed 60 regular-season games only twice.
4. Chris Bosh (2010-2014)
Bosh may slot in fourth, but that should not discredit his impact as a member of the Big 3 in Miami. Despite a <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/boshch01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noticeable downturn in usage rate</a>, the steady forward seamlessly transitioned from a featured role in Toronto to a steady glue-guy presence.
Also, he completely altered his game, evolving from an interior scorer to a stretch five. During his final season in Toronto, he attempted just 22 three-pointers (or 0.3 threes per game). From 2010-11 through 2013-14, he attempted 1.2 threes per game. Bosh landed on four All-Star teams in those four years, while averaging 17.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.&nbsp;
Bosh's coaches and teammates would often describe him as Miami's most important player during that run. Udonis Haslem <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-miami-heat-udonis-haslem-everybody-cant-handle-pressure-of-playing-with-lebron-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praised Bosh</a> for being the consummate teammate on James Posey's podcast,&nbsp;The Posecast. His willingness to take a back seat to James and Dwyane Wade helped Miami capture those two titles.&nbsp;
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Kyrie Irving was unreal in the 2016 NBA Finals🔥<a href="https://t.co/Ci3u1A4Qqj">pic.twitter.com/Ci3u1A4Qqj</a>
&mdash; Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1242185554885619715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote>

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3. Kyrie Irving (2014-2017)
The signature bucket in Cleveland basketball history might belong to Kyrie Irving. His dagger in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals created ripples across the NBA landscape. But the rising star deserved credit for his overall postseason play that year, when he averaged 24.7 points and 4.6 assists per game while shooting a scorching 44% from long range.&nbsp;
Irving made the 2014-15 All-NBA Third Team in his first year next to James. He averaged 22.4 points and 5.3 assists per game during the three-year span, and it marked the rise of one of the league's best point guards.
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2. Dwyane Wade (2010-2014, 2017-2018)
LeBron and D-Wade teamed up right as the longtime Miami Heat superstar reached the latter stages of his prime. But Wade still averaged 22.2 points, 4.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per contest across four years while winning his second and third championships with the franchise. He tossed in some crucial playoff performances, such as Game 5 of the 2012 East Semis, when Wade scored 41 points to help down the rival Indiana Pacers.
The face of the Heat earned All-NBA recognition in three of four seasons with James in Miami. But don't forget about Wade's second stint as a partner in crime, either. Though it only lasted 46 games, the duo paired up again in Cleveland during the 2017-18 season.
1. Anthony Davis (2019-present)
Some will dock Davis among LeBron James teammates because of his lack of longevity. But Davis is batting 1.000 in terms of rings, and in a vacuum, is the best player that has ever shared the court with James. He's the only teammate who was also the consensus best player at his position.
The Brow landed on the All-NBA and All-Defensive First Teams last season while averaging 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He even edged out LeBron (27.7 PPG to 27.6) in postseason per-game scoring. With only one season under his belt, Davis has the highest MVP ranking (sixth) in James teammate history. He's a transcendent big man whose run with the King has only just taken off.&nbsp;

LeBron James has teamed up with some of basketball's best over the past decade. Ethan Fuller ranks his top running mates.

Ranking LeBron James' best teammates over the years

LeBron James injured his right ankle during the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, leaving the court in visible frustration after attempting to play through the injury.
James left early in the second quarter, and the team later announced he would not return. According to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1373402031851982859" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN</a>, X-rays on James' ankle were negative. However, an MRI revealed that James has a high ankle sprain and he will be "out indefinitely," per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1373416082493554692">Wojnarowski</a>.
The 17-time All-Star got hurt when he rolled his right ankle and then made awkward contact on the perimeter with defender Solomon Hill, who was called for a foul on the play. James fell to the court and screamed, briefly rolling around in obvious pain.
But he got up shortly afterward and walked it off during a timeout, retying his shoes and returning to the court. The 36-year-old superstar stayed in the game and even hit a corner 3-pointer on the Lakers' ensuing possession.
James then called another timeout moments later and took himself out of the game with 10:04 left in the first half. He smacked a chair in frustration, knocking it over as he walked off the court behind the Lakers' basket.
He immediately went to the locker room accompanied by the Lakers' training staff and Anthony Davis, who hasn't played since Valentine's Day due to a right calf injury.&nbsp;
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James is averaging 25.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists in a commanding 18th NBA season for the defending champion Lakers, who sit second in the overall NBA standings despite Davis' lengthy absence.
James' inspired play is the biggest reason for Los Angeles' continued success, with his teammates and observers around the league touting him for his fifth NBA MVP award. He was playing the final game of a spectacular individual week during the Lakers' four-game winning streak, with back-to-back triple-doubles before a 37-point performance against Charlotte on Thursday.
James' 3-pointer gave him 10 points against the Hawks, extending to 1,036 his NBA-record streak of consecutive games scoring in double digits. The streak is by far the longest in NBA history, with Michael Jordan second at 866.
In addition to his incredible talent, James has been remarkably durable over his NBA career. He had never missed more than a handful of games in any season before his first year with the Lakers, when a groin injury sidelined him for 17 consecutive games.
James has missed only one game this season, sitting out the Lakers' final game before he had to travel to Atlanta for the All-Star break.
The Lakers' next game is Sunday at Phoenix.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LeBron James suffered an ankle injury on Saturday afternoon during the Lakers-Hawks game.

LeBron James out indefinitely with right ankle sprain

The NBA announced its leaders for jersey and merchandies sales, and a very familiar name was at the top of the list.
No player had more jerseys sold in the last year than LeBron James, which should come as little surprise to anyone as the Los Angeles Lakers are coming off a championship season, James' fourth overall. Dallas' Luka Doncic was second to James in jersey sales, with Brooklyn's Kevin Durant, Golden State's Stephen Curry, and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo rounding out the top five.&nbsp;
As for the team merchandise sales, the Lakers found themselves at the top of that list, making it a sweep. The Brooklyn Nets were second, with Golden State, Boston, and Philadelphia behind them.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The NBA&rsquo;s top jersey sellers in the season&rsquo;s first half: 1. LeBron James 2. Luka Doncic 3. Kevin Durant 4. Stephen Curry 5. Giannis Antetokounmpo <a href="https://t.co/S6VEgopEVS">pic.twitter.com/S6VEgopEVS</a>
&mdash; Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1370103351396958216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Nets had three players in the top 10 of the jersey sales on their way to the second highest finish among teams, as Kyrie Irving and James Harden joined Durant on the <a href="https://pr.nba.com/20-21-popular-jersey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jersey list</a>.&nbsp;

The Lakers proved to be the most popular team in merchandise sales.

LeBron James, Luka Doncic top NBA jersey sales

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat, 106-93, in NBA Finals Game 6 to secure the 17th championship in the franchise's history.
LeBron James led the way with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and he won the Finals MVP award unanimously. Anthony Davis scored 19 points and pulled down 15 rebounds as well, as the league's top duo brought their best in Sunday's close-out game to deliver a title to LA.
The Heat were led by Bam Adebayo's 25-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist performance. Jimmy Butler chipped in 12 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds.
From the jump, Los Angeles took control of the game with tremendous defense and forced the Heat to play fast, leading to stops and scores the other way. The Lakers had 16 points in transition and controlled the pace of the game from start to finish.
Erik Spoelstra's group didn't have the gas that it showed in Game 5, and LA capitalized with high energy, playing downhill and punishing the Heat inside the whole way.
The team of destiny's journey has culminated with the Larry O'Brien trophy, and LeBron once again came through on another promise.

The team of destiny's journey has culminated with the Larry O'Brien trophy, and LeBron James once again came through on another promise.

LeBron James gets Finals MVP, Lakers win title

Everything is different in 2020&hellip; until it isn&rsquo;t. Is it fair to say, as we all awake, that some things just never change? The sun always rises in the East, political news always riles people up and LeBron James wins big basketball games with phenomenal flair.
A year that began Jan. 1 with the death of former NBA commissioner David Stern and then brought the tragic end to Kobe Bryant&rsquo;s life on Jan. 26 is going to include a trip to the NBA Finals for the Los Angeles Lakers and the superstar we have watched in awe and bewilderment all the way to the championship round for the 10th time in his career.
We are all sitting home every night wondering when normalcy will return, and on Saturday night it did.
James was brilliant. Again. The Denver Nuggets were resilient. Again. And when clutch shots were needed to stave off a team that cheated basketball death so many times in the bubble, we all watched the old man with the gray-flecked pandemic beard knock down shot after shot after shot after shot.
The guy has been mesmerizing since he was a rookie. And he was the same way on Saturday night, especially in the fourth quarter - when he scored 16 points and made his final six buckets unassisted to finish off a virtuoso 27th career postseason triple-double, this one featuring 38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. When it ended, it was both amusing and surreal to see purple and gold confetti falling from the rafters of the bubble just like what would have happened if this game was played at the Staples Center.
LeBron sat on the court, taking in the moment in front of a crowd of dozens instead of thousands.
&ldquo;I was thinking about some of my teammates who this is their first appearance to the Finals. Obviously, AD (Anthony Davis) had a lot on my thought process,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;This is the reason why I wanted to be a teammate of his and why I brought him here. I wanted him to see things that he had not seen before in this league. To be able to come through for him meant a lot for me personally.
&ldquo;Then I started thinking about the next opponent. Boston had a few moments in my head. Miami had a few moments in my head as well. How challenging that's going to be, whoever wins that series. Then, I just started thinking about my journey as well. All that was just going through my mind as the confetti was on the floor, was coming down, landing on my shoulder and things of that nature.&rdquo;
The Finals will begin Wednesday night if the Miami Heat finish off the Boston Celtics tonight or Friday night if the Celtics force a Game 7. So, LeBron will have downtime. He will be fresh. He will be motivated. In the meantime, he will probably be political. There&rsquo;s sort of an important presidential debate on Tuesday night that is going to change the tone of civility in the United States one way or another.
No matter who comes out of the East, the Lakers are going to be prohibitive favorites to win the franchise&rsquo;s 17th championship. We would all be talking about it around the water cooler if we were living normal lives, which we are not. The new normal is not always normal, as the saying goes.
But there is another saying that is fitting today, too. The more things change, the more things stay the same.
LeBron James is a player I have covered in several American cities and several major metropolitan cities around the world. I first met him at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan when he was getting ready to be the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft, and I watched with his first agent, Aaron Goodwin, as James posed for the cameras at a photoshoot and appeared uncommonly comfortable in front of a camera for an 18-year-old.
&ldquo;See that watch he&rsquo;s wearing? That&rsquo;s a $100,000 watch,&rdquo; Goodwin told me as we waited. I got to spend some alone time with him thanks to the efforts of former NBA PR executive Teri Washington, and I asked him why he seemed so comfortable in front of a camera. He told me he had only been frightened by cameras once, in his sophomore year of high school when one of his games for St. Vincent-St. Mary&rsquo;s High School in Akron, OH was being televised for the first time.
His maturity was already off the charts. I subsequently watched him up close as he endured the growing pains of being harshly introduced to the alternate basketball universe known as FIBA basketball when he first represented Team USA at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. He was playing under Larry Brown, who refused to start him, and the Americans&rsquo; first game of that Olympic tournament was a 19-point loss to Puerto Rico. Every time Brown would put James into the game, good things happened. And then LB would yank him.
Brown was stubborn. He refused to play James more than a few minutes here and there. Losses to Lithuania and Argentina followed. LeBron left Greece with a bronze medal, and it is safe to assume it is not in his trophy case at home. More likely it&rsquo;s in his sock drawer.
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More of the same came two years later in Japan at the World Championship when the Americans lost to Greece in the semifinals. But then came the 2008 Beijing Olympics two years later, and James teamed up with Kobe for the first time on what came to be known as the Redeem Team. A very, very close gold-medal game against Spain ended with Team USA winning the gold medal. Another gold came four years later in London, and another may be forthcoming next August if the Tokyo Olympics actually happen. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-team-usa-olympics-lebron-james-jerry-colangelo-adam-silver-schedule-conflict" target="_blank" rel="noopener">As reported on this site a couple days ago, James wants to play</a>.
But first things first. Another trip to the NBA Finals is upcoming, the ninth time in 10 years we will all watch this freak of nature cement his status as one of the greatest athletes of our time. The obstinate among us will turn their heads away, upset that the intersection of politics and sports has made athletes spokespeople for the folks in America who do not get a fair shake and must live every day in fear.
Some people will wallow in their misery and hatred and fear, and there is nothing the rest of us can do about it. Those folks live empty lives, as far as I am concerned. But they are our neighbors and our fellow citizens, and we have no choice but to tolerate their ignorance and loathing. It comes with the territory in this crazy year of 2020; and it will endure the years ahead.
But we can all take solace in the fact that James is not going anywhere anytime soon. His brilliance will be on display for at least four more games, hopefully for seven more games. He has not won the championship yet, and you can bet your bottom dollar that he will not see from Erik Spoelstra or Brad Stevens the amount of single coverage that he saw in Game 5 against Denver.
Spoelstra, in particular, has some insight into what works and what doesn&rsquo;t work when it comes to all things LeBron. Spoelstra and Pat Riley played a major part in making James what he is today, a three-time NBA champion. They probably know a thing or two about how to get into his head, and we will find those things out if the Heat are the team coming out of the East.
In the meantime, we wait.
And we wonder what type of craziness awaits us next.
And we&rsquo;re trying to get though life one day at a time, hopefully staying safe and healthy and smart and sane. We are living in a year in which fear and anger surrounds us. Incompetence and idiocy have become normalized. Nobody is quite sure what any day will bring, but not many people expect it to be anything good.
But you know what? As we all get a day older, James remains somewhat of an ageless wonder. What he did on Saturday night is what is has been doing for 16 seasons&hellip; and there will be more to come. Kobe played for 20 seasons.&nbsp; LeBron is not hanging up his sneakers until he fulfills what he has described as the goal of his life: To play in an NBA game alongside his son, Bronny.
So life has its blessings. LeBron isn&rsquo;t going away. He isn&rsquo;t going to shut up and dribble. He is stubborn and stunning and stupefying. He brings joy to those of us who are not too pigheaded to turn away. He is mesmerizing. He makes you run out of superlatives.
He has seen his jersey burned by the fans in Cleveland whom he spurned&hellip; before he returned. He was embraced in Miami much the same way LakersNation is caressing him now. He clearly has a ton of basketball left in him, and today we celebrate the joy and wonder and rapture he can bring into all of our lives, even in the toughest of times.
&ldquo;I've never said, &lsquo;OK, I want to cast myself as a superstar or whatever the case may be.&rsquo; I just want to travel my own journey, because it is my journey,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;I've appreciated everything that's happened along the way. I mean, throughout -- the ups, the downs, the ups on the court, the downs on the court, the wins and losses&hellip; But I've been able to, I guess as Frank Sinatra would say, &lsquo;I did it my way.&rsquo; At the end of the day and at the end of my career, I just hope that I inspire enough people. At the end of the day, all you have is your respect.&rdquo;
He has earned everyone&rsquo;s. Again. Thanks, LBJ.

Chris Sheridan, who has covered LeBron James since he was drafted in 2003, marvels at James' continued dominance at 35 years old.

LeBron James' greatness continues to be on display

I'm about to say something that seems absurd about one of the most visible sports stars in history: we may have missed it with LeBron James.
Let's go back to the 2011-12 season for a moment. LeBron is a Heatle, coming off of one of the most disappointing big-stage outings we've ever seen from a superstar. He puts together a ridiculous season &mdash; 27.1 points on a then-career high 60.5 True Shooting percentage (TS%), 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals &mdash; after officially taking reins of the offense from Dwyane Wade.&nbsp;
He gives big performances in the postseason en route to his first title, most notabaly his 45-15-5 masterpiece against the Boston Celtics. Seriously, <a href="https://youtu.be/rN17J-KMWnY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watch that game</a> again when you have some free time.
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Aside from the monkey-off-his-back, does-he-have-the-clutch-gene rhetoric that filled the air that year, there was an on-court shift. Erik Spoelstra, unlike other coaches before him, got buy-in from LeBron to use him on the block.
Including passes, LeBron averaged 2.7 post possessions during his last season in Cleveland, per Synergy. In his first Miami season, the needle didn't move much (2.9). But during the first title year, we saw some real movement (4.9).&nbsp;
He succeeded then in the way that he's succeeding even more consistently now. Face-up jumpers after catching a groove. Baseline turnarounds. Aggressive backdowns if an undersized player draws the dreaded 'Bron assignment. Easy kickouts if help comes.&nbsp;
He made quick work in stationary sets. Post split action was (and is) a fave of his, as were the flex options that allow him to pick out cutters or shooters &mdash; you know, dependent on which defender inevitably screwed up.
With this newfound utilization, we thought we had it figured out. "LeBron is the complete package!"&nbsp; we exclaimed. More annoyingly, his embracing of mid or low post play was seen as a rite of passage to more comparisons to Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan. A tacit acknowledgement that he did, in fact, need to be more like them in order to win.
(We can quibble about how truthful or silly those discussions were in hindsight, but they did happen. I'm still not sure if we're better or worse off for them.)
But that shift was the precursor to a more drastic one this season. One borne from injury, roster imbalance and, ultimately, a little bit of desperation.&nbsp;
LeBron isn't just mixing it up in the frontcourt with more comfort &mdash; the man is making sweet music as a center.&nbsp;
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On the offensive end, the fruits of the position-changing labor are obvious to see. LeBron playing the 5-spot means the Lakers' non/worst shooters are not. There's more space to operate in, which makes LeBron even more difficult to defend.
That self-creation growth in Miami? It's even more evident right now.
If he wants to boogie in isolation, he has more real estate to map out (and attack) if he so chooses. He becomes harder to deal with on the block. Consider the recent outing against the Timberwolves, where LeCenter logged seven post-ups and generated 13 points per Second Spectrum.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/hulpmv" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Surprise, surprise: pick-and-rolls are even more deadly in this set-up. LeBron has always been a deadly screener when he taps into it &mdash; doing so as the only "big" makes him arguably the most dangerous roll threat in the sport.
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On the other side of that, inverted ball screens with Bron at the helm have been nearly impossible to defend. Send two to the ball, and he'll beat you with the pass. Switch assignments, or leave your guard in a drop for some reason, and LeBron can bulldoze his way to the rim for a shot, a drawn foul, or a kickout once the defense collapses.
The LeBron-Malik Monk pairing has been especially effective as of late. The Lakers, with LeBron at center, have generated north of 1.2 points per possession on trips featuring their two-man dance per Second Spectrum.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/iwqk5n" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Just about everything is working better for LeBron within this lineup construction, and that's while acknowledging that there are still kinks to work out. Here's a quick chart, via Second Spectrum, that further lays it out.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 110px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="width: 31.4539%; height: 44px;">Trip featuring a LeBron-led action</td>
<td style="width: 31.4539%; height: 44px;">Overall</td>
<td style="width: 31.4539%; height: 44px;">Without a big on the floor</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.4539%; height: 22px;">Isolation</td>
<td style="width: 31.4539%; height: 22px;">0.93 PPP</td>
<td style="width: 31.4539%; height: 22px;">1.05 PPP</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.4539%; height: 22px;">Post-up</td>
<td style="width: 31.4539%; height: 22px;">0.99 PPP</td>
<td style="width: 31.4539%; height: 22px;">1.07 PPP</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 31.4539%; height: 22px;">Pick-and-roll</td>
<td style="width: 31.4539%; height: 22px;">1.07 PPP</td>
<td style="width: 31.4539%; height: 22px;">1.03 PPP</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Defensively, LeBron can and has been moved around the chess board a bit. He can work within the status quo, "guarding" a team's worst perimeter shooter so he can fly around on the back-end. Another player, like Carmelo Anthony for example, can take the beefier matchup while knowing LeBron can provide help when needed.
Other times, LeBron just flat-out defends big men. It's kinda funny to think about the transformation. The same dude the Heat threw on prime Derrick Rose during a playoff series is now playing the gap in drop coverage on occasion. Versatility remains a virtue for LeBron, even if it looks very different now.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/01ytis" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
And so that brings us here.
The Lakers have now played 345 minutes with LeBron on the floor without a big man (Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan) to complement him, according to the good folks at <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612747&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=2544,2730,201599,203076" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PBP Stats</a>. They've outscored opponents by 7.2 points per 100 possessions in those minutes, while shooting a must-be-a-typo 60.7% on two-point shots.&nbsp;
LeBron's <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/impact/#!?LineupIDs=2544&amp;VsLineupIDs=203076~2730~201599&amp;TeamID=1610612747&amp;VsTeamID=1610612747&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;PerMode=Per36&amp;Season=2021-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per-36 numbers</a> in this alignment: 32.1 points (61/41/83 split), 9.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists (2.0 turnovers), 1.8 steals, 1.5 blocks.
LeBron's overall averages through the last five: 33.8 points (59/46/76 split), 9.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists (2.2 turnovers), 1.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks.
Let's just say the Lakers might have something here.
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Nekias Duncan breaks down LeBron's recent dominance at center.

The next evolution of LeBron James is finally here

The&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/lebron-james-shares-his-frustration-and-anger-regarding-the-health-safety-protocols/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/giannis-antetokounmpo-shares-why-he-doesnt-associate-or-practice-with-other-nba-players-in-the-offseason/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">following article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="http://basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://BasketballNetwork.net" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">BasketballNetwork.net</a>:
This past week, LeBron James shared his frustration and confusion regarding the health and safety protocols implemented by the NBA regarding COVID-19.
LeBron is not happy with the protocols
Luckily for the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron only missed one game and returned to the starting lineup against the Los Angeles Clippers. Following the Lakers' loss to their crosstown rivals, LeBron shared his frustration with the league's health and safety protocols. LeBron initially tested positive for COVID, which made him miss the game against the Sacramento Kings, but soon after testing negative twice, the decision was overturned.
LeBron said the whole process caused a lot of frustration for him because when he tested positive, his entire family had to self-isolate; then, he tested negative, which made no sense to him whatsoever.
&ldquo;The fact that I tested negative first, and then my second test came back positive, and usually when you have a positive test, they will test you right away to make sure,&rdquo; LeBron said when asked what part of the angered him.
&ldquo;There was not a follow-up test after my positive test. It was straight isolation, and you&rsquo;ve been put into protocol. That&rsquo;s the part that kind of angered me, and I had to figure out a way to get home from Sacramento by myself, they wouldn&rsquo;t allow anyone to travel with me &mdash; no security, no anything when I traveled back from Sacramento. And then, I had to put my kids in isolation for the time being, and put people in my household in isolation for the time being. So, it was just a big-time inconvenience, so that was just the angry part.&rdquo;
He never felt sick after testing positive
LeBron didn&rsquo;t have any health problems after finding out he was positive for COVID, and he thinks the whole situation by the NBA was poorly handled.
&ldquo;I knew I was gonna get cleared because I never, ever felt sick, at all,&rdquo; LeBron said. &ldquo;And I know you can be asymptomatic, but, I mean, if what I had was a positive COVID test, then what are we doing? What are we talking about? So, I just thought it was handled very poorly.&rdquo;
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"Confused, frustrated, angry...I knew I was going to get cleared. I thought it was handled very poorly." LeBron James with <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersReporter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LakersReporter</a> on being in health and safety protocols the last few days. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LakeShow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LakeShow</a> <a href="https://t.co/NemhzyzJ5k">pic.twitter.com/NemhzyzJ5k</a>
&mdash; Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpectrumSN/status/1467024666061512707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2021</a></blockquote>

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In the last week or so, there has been a surge of players testing positive for COVID around the NBA. LeBron is one of the first significant superstars in the NBA to speak out against the whole process that is implemented by the league, so will be interesting to see if the NBA decides to alter the rules in some way after those comments.
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

LeBron missed one game due to safety and health protocols and returned to the starting lineup against the Clippers on Friday.

LeBron James frustrated with NBA health and safety protocols

LeBron James will return from an abdominal strain vs the Boston Celtics tonight.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1461844078337921028?s=21">Shams Charania/The Athletic</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;James had missed eight straight games until tonight.&nbsp;
The 8-8 Lakers will greatly benefit from his return to the starting lineup as the Lakers hope to find their footing as a title contender.

LeBron James will return from an abdominal strain vs the Boston Celtics tonight.

LeBron James will return from injury against Celtics tonight

There's growing optimism that LeBron James could make his return to the Lakers vs. Boston on Friday (ESPN, 7:30 PM), sources tell ESPN.
Source:<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1460646546723295237" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;James has missed the past two weeks with an abdominal strain. The Lakers could certainly use his help, as the team has gone 3-4 since James last played on Nov. 2. Most recently, L.A. lost to the Chicago Bulls, 121-103 on Monday night.

James has not played in two weeks after suffering an abdominal strain.

'Growing optimism' LeBron James could return Friday vs. Celtics

LeBron James organizing Lakers team minicamp in Las Vegas ahead of training camp &ndash; a similar chemistry-building function to the one hosted before the 2020 title season. 
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1440468429522096138?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic </a>
ANALYSIS: James will look to replicate the formula that had the Lakers hoisting up their 17th championship trophy as a franchise back in 2020. Here is Shams Charania with the full details:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
LeBron James organizing Lakers team minicamp in Las Vegas ahead of training camp &ndash; a similar chemistry-building function to the one hosted before the 2020 title season. Details: <a href="https://t.co/Z9c4JnSW1E">pic.twitter.com/Z9c4JnSW1E</a>
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1440468429522096138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2021</a></blockquote>

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According to The Athletic, LeBron James is organizing a team minicamp in Vegas ahead of training camp.

Report: LeBron James organizing Lakers team minicamp in Vegas

LeBron James announced via Twitter that he is out for Wednesday's game against the Houston Rockets.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Getting close but I won&rsquo;t be in the lineup tonight but more importantly I will be there to put that CHAMPIONSHIP banner in the rafters at Staples Center in front of our fans!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/No17?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#No17</a> 💜💛
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1392583560327008260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Anthony Davis is listed as questionable, as is Alex Caruso.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/kylegoon/status/1392532242329526272" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Goon/Southern California News Group</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;James has pushed his return back twice now from his initial target game, which was yesterday against the Knicks. Davis joins the injury report with what Goon says is "left abductor tightness." The Lakers would certainly like to play both soon, as the seventh-seeded squad continues to fight to get out of the play-in tournament.&nbsp;

The Lakers are currently seventh in the West with a 39-30 record.

LeBron James out, Anthony Davis questionable Wednesday vs. Houston

"Sources tell me LeBron James is aiming to return to the Lakers lineup next week."
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium/status/1390411089872146437" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: After returning to the lineup last week from an ankle injury, James' return was short lived as he reaggravated his injury during Sunday's matchup with the Raptors. James will now hope to return to the lineup next week after resting his ankle this week. The Lakers are currently in a fierce battle for playoff positioning and cannot afford to lose many more games.&nbsp;

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, LeBron James (ankle) is aiming to return to the Lakers lineup next week.

LeBron