Dave McMenamin
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — LeBron James was sidelined to open training camp Tuesday with what Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick called “a little bit of nerve irritation in the glute.”
James, who turns 41 in December, will become the first player in league history to have played 23 seasons when the Lakers host the Golden State Warriors on opening night next month.
Redick said “the goal” was for James to be recovered in time for the Warriors game, but the coach did not rule out James participating in at least one of the Lakers’ six preseason games.
“It’s probably a little bit longer of a ramp-up leading into opening night for him,” Redick said of James. “Obviously in Year 23, it’s uncharted territory here.”
Redick said that James “probably did too much” in training camp last fall to show “buy-in” and ready himself and the team during Redick’s maiden voyage as a head coach.
“It’ll be a slower process with him leading into the first game,” Redick said. “He’s obviously got 22 years so far of wear and tear on the body and he’s dealing with a little bit of nerve irritation in the glute.
“So, we’re just playing the long game with LeBron.”
James told ESPN on Monday that “it remains to be seen” how much he planned to participate in training camp this year.
“I’m still ramping things back up,” James told ESPN. “I’m not where I want to be. But I mean, I don’t want to be where I want to be right now in September. So, I got some time and I’m looking forward to the process of getting there.”
James’ camp met with the Lakers’ brass leading up to training camp with a directive for the team to be “overly cautious” with the four-time champion in the early going to preserve him for a hopefully long playoff run, sources told ESPN.
James, who averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds for L.A. last season, came into that campaign declaring his intention to play in all 82 games. He played L.A.’s first 23 games before struggling in early December, leading to an eight-day absence when he sat out two games to address soreness in his left foot. This after James played in three out of the Lakers’ six preseason games last October.
L.A. opens up its six-game preseason slate against the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, California, on Friday.
James will not play against the Suns, sources told ESPN. But Redick said “it would be nice” to have James suit up for at least one preseason game.
“We would love to have that happen,” Redick added.
While James watched practice in street clothes Tuesday, Lakers guard Austin Reaves said he still made his presence felt.
“You know, it’s Bron, he’s always going to observe kind of communicate [what he sees],” Reaves said. “I think that’s the approach that he’s going to take right now, [which] is just being one of our vocal leaders. That’s what he’s done his whole career.”
Redick said that the Lakers also did not have Gabe Vincent (left knee management), Marcus Smart (left Achilles tendinopathy) and rookie Adou Thiero (left knee swelling) available for full participation in their opening practice. Redick added that Vincent should be available for the preseason opener against the Suns.
As for the Lakers who did fully participate to begin training camp?
“Uh, Luka [Doncic] was pretty good,” Redick said with a smile.
