James’ Shocking Injury Threatens to Derail NBA Season Before It Even Begins

LeBron James, the titan of the hardwood, faces an unexpected hurdle as sciatica sidelines him for up to four weeks, keeping him off the court at the NBA season’s outset. At 40, this Lakers legend, who just inked a fresh deal this past June and is on track to shatter records by spanning across 23 NBA seasons, hasn’t missed the season’s start in his long, illustrious career—until now. Sciatica, that notorious pain zipping down from the lower back through the leg, has kept him from the preseason battles and those early October showdowns against the Warriors and Suns. With LeBron out, the Lakers will have to navigate October’s slate without their all-time leading scorer, whose resilience has been nothing short of remarkable throughout 1,562 appearances. I gotta say, this is a pivotal moment—not just for LeBron but for the entire Lakers squad gearing up to prove their mettle this year. LEARN MORE

LeBron James holds his hands on his chest

Bobbie Jackson

BBC Sport journalist

9 October 2025

LeBron James has been ruled out for up to four weeks and will miss the start of the NBA season with sciatica, Los Angeles Lakers have confirmed.

James, 40, signed a new contract with the Lakers in June and is set to become the first player to play across 23 separate NBA seasons.

Sciatica is a pain in the sciatic nerve that goes down the lower back and through the leg.

James has not taken part in pre-season and missed the defeats against the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns earlier this month because of the glute nerve irritation.

The American is expected to be sidelined for all five of the Lakers’ games in October, including the season-opener against Golden State.

James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has never previously missed the start of the season in his 22-year career.

His tally of 1,562 regular-season appearances is just 50 short of breaking former Boston Celtics star Robert Parish’s NBA record.

The four-time NBA champion featured in 70 of the Lakers’ 82 games last term and played on 71 occasions in the year before.

Last season, James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game and finished sixth in Most Valuable Player vote.

The Lakers qualified for the play-offs in 2024-25 but lost 4-1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.