LeBron James out for start of 2025-26 season with sciatica

LeBron James will miss the start of the 2025-26 NBA season after the Los Angeles Lakers ruled the 40-year-old out for three to four weeks with right-sided sciatica, the team announced Thursday. The injury will keep James off the floor for at least the opening-week stretch, including the Lakers’ Oct. 21 season opener against the Golden State Warriors, and will be reevaluated after the prescribed recovery period.

Team officials described the issue as irritation of a nerve in the glute and lower back. League sources say the problem developed during a summer on-court workout in late July or early August and disrupted James’s offseason preparation and participation in training camp. The veteran had undergone knee surgery this offseason and has managed multiple injuries in recent years, factors the organization has said it is monitoring closely.

Coach JJ Redick, in his first public comments since the team update, acknowledged the uncertainty the absence creates while emphasizing the team’s approach to preparation. "You hope he's back soon. Those things can be tricky," Redick said Saturday. He added that James has been on the court and working but that the team has not yet finalized a...