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dave mcmenamin
Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James He has continued to work out individually while recovering from sciatica affecting his lower back and right side, and the next step in his return will be to step up to more 5-on-5 reps in practice, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Wednesday.
James will not travel with the Lakers on their upcoming five-game trip atlanta, charlotte, Oklahoma City, new Orleans And milwaukeeSources told ESPN.
While the Lakers are on the road, their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, will practice at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo, California. Sources told Charania it is unclear whether James will join South Bay for practice or wait for the Lakers to return for group sessions.
That means the earliest James could return is Nov. 18, when L.A. hosts utah jazz,
Last week, Lakers coach JJ Redick revealed a projected timeline for when the team could welcome the 40-year-old back into the lineup.
“Obviously, this thing has to continue to move forward with all their return-to-play protocols,” Redick said. “So, we don’t have a target date. It’s somewhere in that general timeline. We’re hopeful that he’s checked all the boxes and is going to be back sometime in the second or third week in November.”
Thursday will mark four weeks since the Lakers announced James’ sciatica diagnosis on Oct. 9. At the time, the team said it would reevaluate him in three to four weeks and provide an update.
LA has started the season 6-2 without James.
Whenever James plays his first game for the Lakers, he will become the first player in league history to play 23 seasons in the NBA.
