LOS ANGELES — Basketball superstar LeBron James remained on the bench for his second game in a row Sunday evening as the Los Angeles Lakers took on the New York Knicks, continuing to recover from injuries to his left elbow and left foot.
Lakers officials confirmed James would not participate approximately 75 minutes prior to tip-off. Despite going through pregame warm-up exercises to evaluate his condition, the team made their decision well before game time rather than waiting until the last moment, as head coach JJ Redick had indicated they might do.
The veteran player, now 41 years old, was also absent from Los Angeles’ win against Indiana on Friday due to what team officials characterized as a bruised left elbow and arthritis affecting his left foot.
This season has seen James struggle with multiple minor ailments, and Sunday’s absence against New York marked the 20th game he has missed during the Lakers’ opening 64 contests. Earlier in the campaign, he sat out the initial 14 games while dealing with sciatica that prevented him from participating in any training camp or preseason activities as he began his historic 23rd NBA campaign.
During Thursday’s matchup with the Denver Nuggets, James achieved a milestone by breaking the NBA record for career field goals made. However, he also sustained his elbow injury during a late-game encounter with Nikola Jokic. Following that contest, James described his elbow as “pretty sore… It feels like a funny bone situation.”
Prior to this recent absence, James had participated in the Lakers’ first eight contests following the All-Star break, during which he also made his record-setting 21st appearance in the midseason exhibition game.
Despite being the league’s all-time leading scorer and maintaining solid production this year with averages of 21.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists per contest, James has been unavailable for too many games to earn consideration for what would have been his remarkable 22nd consecutive All-NBA team selection.
By sitting out this high-profile matchup with the Knicks, James postponed his chase of Robert Parish’s record for most career games played. James currently stands at 1,606 regular-season appearances, just five games short of Parish’s mark of 1,611.
The Lakers, who hold a 38-25 record, are currently navigating a demanding five-week period without any back-to-back days off. They have three additional home contests scheduled for next week before beginning a challenging six-game road trip.
