LeBron James Ankle Injury: Could This Be An Issue for Lakers?

 

LeBron James went down hard in Sunday's game against the Memphis Grizzles, rolling around in pain, clutching the same leg that kept him out of 20 games last season.

LeBron goes down in pain but seems to be okay now. Omg that was scary for a bit 🙏 #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/PtkPxNalzj

— ZachTheMan (1-2) (5-1) (0-0) (@HopefulSpursFan) October 25, 2021

Is there a chance this could be a recurring theme this season for the once-invincible force of human nature? 

After the game, James referred to last season's high ankle sprain: “The first thing I was thinking to myself was, ‘Not again,' Because, obviously, it was almost similar but not the same kind of play. Guy falls into my leg and there’s nothing you can do about it and I couldn’t get my leg out of there in time.

He credited what looked like a scary moment to fans as simply gathering himself:

“Just wanted to take a moment on the floor, just hopefully it wasn’t getting worse,” James said. “Had an opportunity just to tie my shoe again and see if I’m able to go

LeBron James is listed as “probable”
for Tuesday night’s game at San Antonio with right ankle soreness.

He referenced the ankle after the win vs. Memphis, referring to the collision under the hoop with Desmond Bane. LeBron (19P, 6A, 6R, 2S, 2B) played the rest of the game.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) October 25, 2021

He is currently listed as "probable" for Tuesday night's game against the Spurs.

The Lakers, of course, can ill afford to be without LeBron for any length of time this season, without their playoff seeding in the Western Conference taking a huge hit. In fact, the 37-year-old's 20 game absence last season had them plummet to 7th in the conference, leading to a quick playoff exit at the hands of the Phoenix Suns. 

Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports