LeBron James is set to make his long-awaited debut with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Speaking with reporters on Monday (November 17) after his first practice, the NBA superstar shared how he’s dealing with sciatica.
“If you ain’t never had it, and people are making jokes about it, I pray you never get it,” James said.”It’s not fun.”
James also revealed that he first dealt with sciatica during the offseason in 2023.
When asked if his pain was gone, James responded, “I won’t take it that far.”
“Like I said, if you ever had it, you just go about it. You wake up one day, and you hope that when you step down out of the bed, you don’t feel it,” he continued. “And you go to bed at night, and you hope that when you get into bed, you don’t feel it. So, I’ve been doing pretty good with it, as of late. It’s a lot of exercises, and a lot of mobility things, and a lot of things you can do to help it. I’m just keeping a positive mindset about it.”
James explained how he’s working his way back to game shape.
“My lungs feel like a newborn baby,” James said. “That’s the most important thing: I’ve got to get my lungs back up to a grown man. My voice is already gone (from) one day back, barking out calls and assignments, and stuff. Got to get my voice working again. Be a lot of tea and rest tonight. Feels good to be out here with the guys. Missed them.”
When James makes his return, he will become the first player in NBA history to play in 23 seasons. The Lakers host the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.
“Just trying to get back to where I feel like myself again,” James said. “Got to see how the body responds over the next 24 hours-plus.”
Although James has been missing in action, the Lakers are in fourth place in the Western Conference with a 10-4 record.