Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James will be sidelined an additional 3-4 weeks due to sciatica on his right side, which will force him to miss the team's season-opener, the Lakers announced on Thursday (October 9) via ESPN's Shams Charania.
"Lakers star LeBron James is sidelined for at least 3 to 4 weeks due to sciatica on his right side. He is out for the start of the 2025-26 NBA season," Charania wrote on his X account.
James, 40, has already missed two preseason games and hasn't been a full participant in practice due to what Lakers head coach JJ Redick referred to as nerve irritation in his glute. Sciatica is "pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve" that travels from the buttocks and down each leg, according to the Mayo Clinic.
James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, is entering his 23rd season. The Akron native averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 assists during his 22nd season.
James was undecided on his NBA future after his team was eliminated from the playoffs.
"I don't know," James said when asked how long he planned to continue playing via ESPN. "I don't have an answer to that. Something I'll sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens. And just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play.
"I don't know the answer to that right now, to be honest. So we'll see."
James is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, a four-time NBA regular season and four-time NBA Finals MVP.