LeBron James is getting older.
The older you get, the more aches and pains your body has to deal with on a daily basis. Unfortunately, even King James is not immune to Father Time’s dastardly effects.
The four-time NBA MVP has been ruled out of the Los Angeles Lakers’ season-opening contest against the Golden State Warriors and could be out for even longer as he deals with sciatica on his right side.
This marks the first time in James’ career that he will be unavailable for a season opener.
James will be sidelined for the next 3-4 weeks. But this isn’t the first time he’s been forced courtside.
Here are the most significant injuries James has suffered during his 22-year NBA career:
LeBron James injury history
Despite his lengthy career, James has had mostly a clean bill of health. For the first 11 years of his career, he never missed more than seven games.
In the 2007-08 season, James was forced to miss five games due to a sprained left index finger. He missed two other games that year, one for an ankle sprain and one for rest.
He didn’t miss significant time again until his time in Miami, when, during the 2012-13 season, a right hamstring strain would keep him out of four games. The only other games he missed that year were for rest.
The next season brought potentially the most “iconic” injury of James’ career. A broken nose kept James sidelined for one contest, but he would return to the court soon after, wearing a black mask.
He dropped 31 with a broken nose, which might be the closest thing James has to a Michael Jordan flu game.
LeBron James has gone with the black mask for tonight’s game against the Knicks. pic.twitter.com/75OG3mO5mW
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 28, 2014
In his return to Cleveland the following year (2014-15), James would miss 13 games, including eight consecutive showdowns due to lower back soreness and injuries to his left knee and foot. Outside of that, though, James’ tenures in Miami and Cleveland were never marred with injury.
The same can’t be said for his time with Los Angeles, though. In his first year with the Lakers, James missed 27 games, many of which were due to a strained left groin, which kept him out for two lengthy stints. One, at the end of the season, played a factor in the Lakers missing the playoffs.
James’ health issues would continue the following season. Although the Lakers won the championship in 2020, James missed 15 games.
The following year, James would suffer a dreaded high ankle sprain, which played a major role in him missing 27 games.
The next year (2021-22), he missed 26 games due to an abdominal strain and swelling in his left knee. The next year, foot injuries kept James off the court for 27 games, marking the third straight year where James failed to play in 60 games for the Lakers.
Thankfully, James would restore some of his magic in 2024 and 2025. He missed just 23 games over the last two seasons, and although there were some scares, such as James sitting out the All-Star Game to nurse his ankle, most of James’ absence in games were for rest.
When does the NBA regular season start?
The NBA regular season starts on Tuesday, Oct. 21 with a double-header. The Lakers are scheduled to play the Warriors at 10 p.m. ET that day.
James will miss that contest, but could be in danger of missing a few more. The four-week timeline would put James on pace to return on Nov. 6. The Lakers have nine regular-season games scheduled before then, meaning James’ first game of the season could be a road showdown with the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 8.
If James misses only three weeks, he could return before the Lakers’ first NBA Cup game, a battle with the Memphis Grizzlies on Halloween night.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James injury history with him set to miss season opener
